Two Gentlemen of Verona

Yesterday we saw the play, Two Gentlemen of Verona. When we walked into the theatre, the first detail I noticed was that the setting was in the roaring 20’s instead of the 1500’s. This detail made the play hard to follow because there were men talking in Shakespeare words but wearing modern day suites. I would have followed the play easier if the men and women were dressed in tights and long, jeweled dresses. The eye-catching part of the play was a real dog acting a part on the stage. Even though the dog just sat there and knocked over a prop, the dog still made me chuckle. The dog only impressed me once when he went straight to the closet to find a man hiding in there. The third detail I noticed was that all of the actors were tap dancers. Each of them was given a part to be in the center of the spotlight, so they could show off their tap dancing skills. They were all superior. This play made the audience enthusiastic because everyone was standing and clapping for all of the actors.  Reviewed by Lauren

Today I went to see the Shakespearian play, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, at the Mesa Arts Center Nesbitt/Elliott Playhouse Theater. My initial reaction was about the setting. I enjoyed the setting of the Roaring Twenties, although I wish they changed it to match the original. It was especially difficult to transition to gangsters in the city instead of outlaws in the forest. I also thought that since the actors spoke in Shakespeare’s language, then they should set it in Shakespeare’s time so the words match the setting. My second reaction was about the live dog onstage, Crab. I really thought the dog was a great addition to this show, although I would like the dog trained so that it can make lots of laughter with its tricks. The main scene for the dog was that he was supposed to urinate on the Duke’s daughter’s dress, but in the play they only talked about it.  My last reaction was about the music. Even though it was not Shakespeare’s music, I really thought the ukuleles were an amazing addition to the play. I also liked all the music because it was very modern, and it was so easy to follow. I was disappointed at the play for some parts, but it was humorous many times. Reviewed by Samantha