A Rave Review (and and a Suggestion for Peter Brook)

Urgent exhortation: if you're going to be anywhere near New York City between now and April 17, bop on over to the Duke on 42d Street and catch Peter Brook's Love is My Sin. That's the Peter Brook who did so much to define the London theatre scene for the post-World-War-II generation. He's 85 now and still working; the item showcased here is his one-hour evocation of the Shakespearean Sonnets, as presented by Natasha Perry (whom Brook married in 1951) and Michael Pennington, who is no slouch at redefining the theatre scene, especially Shakespearean theatre scene, himself.

One hour; two actors (plus one muscian); 35 sonnets--all this for $75 a head. You'd think it was some kind of ripoff, but consider: between them, these three (Brook, Pennington, Perry) must have 175 years' worth of Shakespearean stage experience. You can't imagine anybody else who could present the material so convincingly, and so captivate an audience.

By general assent (which I'd endorse, if anyone asked), the Sonnets are not what make Shakespeare Shakespeare: they're a bit too formal, stylized, overwritten. He needed the discipline of the box office to establish him as an enduring cultural icon. But by the miracle of careful selection and dazzling presentation, Brook & Co have defined them into Shakespeare's natural venue. Somehow Brook (or his cast of two) found a way of articulating the selection into two separate characters and to establish a kind of dramatic dialogue.

Apparently Perry herself is 80 this year, but you'd hardly notice: on stage, she came across as younger than Pennington (who is 66). They both have a bit of a lisp, but no matter: from the moment they open their mouths, you know you're in the hands of a total pro, in complete control of the material. At $75 a head, that's a little north of $2 per sonnet, but as the experience of a lifetime, it's worth every penny.

Now the suggestion: the whole show took a bit under an hour. Mr. B remarked on how much fun it would have been if they had dragooned in two different actors of a different age (50, perhaps?) and let them do it all a second time.

Context Note: This is the third performance we've seen at the Duke in recent years, all winners. Well, two winners and a strong honorable mention. A fit match for Brook's sonnets was Darko Tresnjak's superb rendition of All's Well that Ends Well back in 2006, Tresnjak in 2008 presented an Antony and Cleopatra that was carefully thought out and convincing, if perhaps a bit light in the passion department--still, about the best overall Antony I've ever seen.

Celebrity Sighting: the waiting space outside the Duke is a line of chairs that look a lot like the waiting room at the Alzheimer's clinic. About 7:30 the stage door opened; a compact little man emerged and strolled past the expectant customers. "Excuse me," a woman said, "aren't you Mr. Brook?" Why yes, he said--they chatted for two or three minutes. "Oh yes," she said, "I'm here. I bought a ticket for tonight." "Oh," he said, "if I had known, I would have...." "Oh yes, I know, she said," and they nodded a greeting and he continued on his way.