KC Fringe "Shakespeare in Love & War" review by Rabid_Reviewer

Old-fashioned Shakespeare

Rating: 3

Shakespeare in Love & War

KC Fringe Festival

Alan Tilson is a talented performer.  He has memorized over 50 Shakespeare monologues and sonnets to improve his diction and his memorization skills.

Alan is personable, friendly and fun to watch.  Stylistically, the show presents the monologues to display the meter and scansion of the verse.  If you love to listen to the words of Shakespeare, this show is for you.

If, on the other hand, you want to feel the passion and emotional content within the performance that is currently the theatrical trend, this show will leave you feeling a little flat.

While there are physical dynamics layered onto the performance, the emotional inner truth is lacking.

In modern plays, I would consider this a source of criticism.  In this case, I have to defer it to a matter of style, which may or may not suit the individual's taste.  The language, rhythm and meter is very well spoken.  As poetry, English teachers would be proud.

So, if you like to listen to the language of Shakespeare, this show is definitely for you.  If you want to be moved by the characterizations, look elsewhere.