Agamemnon
For those interested, here is my report from Agamemnon (mostly about Kate Mulgrew):
The Kate Report: Agamemnon (March 17, 2008 Classic Stage Company NYC)
(by Aeschylus/Translated by Anne Carson)
Cast:
Agamemnon-Michael Cumpsty
Klytaimestra-Kate Mulgrew
Aigisthos-Lorenzo Pisoni
Kassandra-KK Moggie
Herald-Dan Oreskes
Watchman-David Costabile
Chorus-Terry Beaver, Tom Bloom, Yusef Bulos
(Directed by Michael Cumpsty)
The Staged-Reading took place in a small, 200 seat black-box theatre set up in three-quarters (seats on three sides of the stage), the stage is currently set for the run of Anton Chekov’s The Seagull, which plays during the week (Monday nights are generally an industry off night). Three stools stood on the main floor; two stage right and one stage left, each with a music stand placed in front and two more music stands center stage. Up two steps stood six chairs.
The Chorus sat on the three stools and the remaining actors in the six chairs, they would get up and walk to the music stands at center when they had lines.
(I was part of a show there myself a few years back and the only major difference in the space was a reflective floor which must be a pain to light and as was pointed out not a good idea to wear a skirt on).
Kate wore a long black skirt, black mock turtleneck shirt with three-quarter sleeves, a black sweater draped over her shoulders (a-la-Hepburn), black socks and black pumps. Her blonde hair (which I must say I actually like in person) was loosely pulled up with a clip and a pretty bright sky blue scarf adorned her head (and really made her eyes appear lighter). She wore silver dangly earrings with a stone quite possibly turquoise or paua shell and very minimal make-up (nothing flashy, all natural colors).
The translation was well written and all of the actors did a wonderful job; especially considering that they were only handed scripts for the first time six hours before the actual reading.
Kate continued using the “Clytemnestra voice” that she used in Iphigenia 2.0 (slightly different from her real voice and from the sound of it a menace to her throat) and conveyed a believable amount of sugar coated malice and disdain as Klytaimestra (as it’s spelled in the program) toward her husband Agamemnon (and a few death-glares thrown in for good measure… I found myself on the business end of them once or twice as my seat was in her direct line of sight when she glared at the chorus).
After the reading we spoke about her returning to the role of Clytemnestra/Klytaimestra, she was pleased at the topic and interested in our thoughts. (At this point she had on a charcoal grey coat with a fur collar). I also asked jokingly asked her about her lack of green for St. Patrick’s Day and in a very Janeway style, holding my arm and looking directly into my eyes she told me “No, no green. Today was a blue day.” (I felt like an ensign.) Then she bid us adieu and went off to eat with her friends.
The Kate Report: Agamemnon (March 17, 2008 Classic Stage Company NYC)
(by Aeschylus/Translated by Anne Carson)
Cast:
Agamemnon-Michael Cumpsty
Klytaimestra-Kate Mulgrew
Aigisthos-Lorenzo Pisoni
Kassandra-KK Moggie
Herald-Dan Oreskes
Watchman-David Costabile
Chorus-Terry Beaver, Tom Bloom, Yusef Bulos
(Directed by Michael Cumpsty)
The Staged-Reading took place in a small, 200 seat black-box theatre set up in three-quarters (seats on three sides of the stage), the stage is currently set for the run of Anton Chekov’s The Seagull, which plays during the week (Monday nights are generally an industry off night). Three stools stood on the main floor; two stage right and one stage left, each with a music stand placed in front and two more music stands center stage. Up two steps stood six chairs.
The Chorus sat on the three stools and the remaining actors in the six chairs, they would get up and walk to the music stands at center when they had lines.
(I was part of a show there myself a few years back and the only major difference in the space was a reflective floor which must be a pain to light and as was pointed out not a good idea to wear a skirt on).
Kate wore a long black skirt, black mock turtleneck shirt with three-quarter sleeves, a black sweater draped over her shoulders (a-la-Hepburn), black socks and black pumps. Her blonde hair (which I must say I actually like in person) was loosely pulled up with a clip and a pretty bright sky blue scarf adorned her head (and really made her eyes appear lighter). She wore silver dangly earrings with a stone quite possibly turquoise or paua shell and very minimal make-up (nothing flashy, all natural colors).
The translation was well written and all of the actors did a wonderful job; especially considering that they were only handed scripts for the first time six hours before the actual reading.
Kate continued using the “Clytemnestra voice” that she used in Iphigenia 2.0 (slightly different from her real voice and from the sound of it a menace to her throat) and conveyed a believable amount of sugar coated malice and disdain as Klytaimestra (as it’s spelled in the program) toward her husband Agamemnon (and a few death-glares thrown in for good measure… I found myself on the business end of them once or twice as my seat was in her direct line of sight when she glared at the chorus).
After the reading we spoke about her returning to the role of Clytemnestra/Klytaimestra, she was pleased at the topic and interested in our thoughts. (At this point she had on a charcoal grey coat with a fur collar). I also asked jokingly asked her about her lack of green for St. Patrick’s Day and in a very Janeway style, holding my arm and looking directly into my eyes she told me “No, no green. Today was a blue day.” (I felt like an ensign.) Then she bid us adieu and went off to eat with her friends.