‘Twelfth Night’
If your appetite for Shakespeare was piqued by recent stage productions, you’re in luck! Several fantastic adaptations of ‘Twelfth Night’ are available to stream. Start with Des McAnuff’s 2011 Stratford Shakespeare Festival production, featuring Brian Dennehy as Sir Toby Belch and Stephen Ouimette as Sir Andrew Aguecheek. McAnuff, known for his dynamic musicals, infuses the play with energetic pop-rock songs, making ‘Hold Thy Peace’ a particular standout.
Another gem is Tim Carroll’s renowned all-male staging from Shakespeare’s Globe, which graced Broadway in 2013. This production shines brightest through Mark Rylance’s Tony Award-winning portrayal of the heartbroken noblewoman Olivia, a performance lauded by many critics as unforgettable.
Don’t miss Simon Godwin’s rendition for the National Theater. It features the brilliant Tamsin Greig, who delivers a captivating performance as the gender-switched Malvolia, sporting a distinctive bob haircut. Her talent is truly a sight to behold!
Three by Yury Butusov
In a poignant tribute to the late Russian director Yury Butusov, who tragically passed away last month while in exile, Art Seen Films is offering a special collection of three of his acclaimed productions. This exclusive package includes filmed versions of Chekhov’s ‘The Seagull,’ Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear,’ and Gogol’s ‘The Government Inspector.’ Proceeds from these screenings will directly support Butusov’s family until September 30.
Butusov’s unique vision often pushed boundaries, even within the experimental European and Russian theater scenes, so viewers are encouraged to approach his work with an open mind. Critics, like Rob Weinert-Kendt of American Theater magazine, have described his ‘Seagull’ as ‘fierce, expansive, often hauntingly ruminative’ – qualities evident across all three plays in this collection. Beyond the full productions, the included short extras offer fascinating insights, such as Butusov himself explaining his directorial choices for the pivotal Act IV of ‘The Seagull,’ layered over archival footage.
‘The Fairest’ and ‘Burbank’
Disney’s immense influence on popular culture has always drawn keen attention and scrutiny. Now, Cameron Darwin Bossert’s compelling ‘A Venomous Color’ trilogy delves into the behind-the-scenes stories of the company’s formative years, revealing the intriguing process behind the creation of their early magic.
Presented by Bossert’s Thirdwing company at the Off Off Broadway venue The Wild Project, the first two plays in the series are now available to stream. ‘The Fairest’ chronicles the making of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ (1937) through the eyes of the women who painstakingly painted the animation frames. Its sequel, ‘Burbank,’ sheds light on the significant animators’ strike of 1941. We eagerly await the streaming release of the final play in the cycle, ‘The Animals Speak,’ which concluded its stage run in August. This third installment explores Walt Disney’s goodwill trip to South America with his studio team in 1941.
‘Rhinoceros’
Prepare for a wonderfully bizarre experience with the 1974 film ‘Rhinoceros.’ While its smoothly swinging theme by ‘Hair’ composer Galt MacDermot might suggest a thriller, this is, in fact, an unsettling and darkly humorous adaptation of Eugene Ionesco’s renowned absurdist play. Starring the iconic duo Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel (who reprised his 1961 Broadway role), the film marked their reunion seven years after ‘The Producers,’ though with a far more unconventional story that surely left many American audiences scratching their heads.
This powerful allegory explores the insidious rise of fascism and the perils of blind conformity. Wilder portrays an ordinary man witnessing his townspeople inexplicably transform into rhinoceroses – a transformation cleverly left to the audience’s imagination, a testament to the film’s unique charm. Directed by Tom O’Horgan (also from ‘Hair’), this production was part of the American Film Theater, a bold initiative in the early 1970s that brought challenging stage plays to the big screen.