Antaeus does double casting for their plays, where they have two completely different casts for the same play - a notion I find fascinating.
I love watching understudy performances because it's so interesting to observe how different the play becomes when a different actor breathes life into the same character. It also reveals how many of their gestures and actions may have been suggested by the director or the playwright, and which are unique to the actor playing the role.
So double casting sounds like a fantastic idea, as it allows you to see two completely different plays.
The previous time I saw Macbeth, I saw the "Kinsmen" cast. I wish I would've seen the "Thanes" cast as well, but due to scheduling conflicts, we wound up seeing the "Hurlyburlys" cast, which combined both casts. So in a way, it felt more like I was watching an understudy performance instead of a different play altogether, given that many of favorite roles and characters were played by actors whose performances I had deeply enjoyed in my first viewing.
As a result, I found that I liked the Kinsmen performances more than the Thanes - save for Danny Blinkoff's portrayal of Macduff, and not just because I got to see this performance thanks to his generosity (yay for comp tickets!), but because I felt he added much more strength to the character. Blinkoff's age, build and physique present a better match to Macbeth as played by the very physical Bo Foxworth. Additionally, I felt his utter shock at hearing the news that his wife and children had been slaughtered, and the single, manly tear felt very real.
Alas, I won't be able to watch the Thanes performance, which is a shame, but next time I see something at Antaeus, I'll try to see both casts.
I love watching understudy performances because it's so interesting to observe how different the play becomes when a different actor breathes life into the same character. It also reveals how many of their gestures and actions may have been suggested by the director or the playwright, and which are unique to the actor playing the role.
So double casting sounds like a fantastic idea, as it allows you to see two completely different plays.
The previous time I saw Macbeth, I saw the "Kinsmen" cast. I wish I would've seen the "Thanes" cast as well, but due to scheduling conflicts, we wound up seeing the "Hurlyburlys" cast, which combined both casts. So in a way, it felt more like I was watching an understudy performance instead of a different play altogether, given that many of favorite roles and characters were played by actors whose performances I had deeply enjoyed in my first viewing.
As a result, I found that I liked the Kinsmen performances more than the Thanes - save for Danny Blinkoff's portrayal of Macduff, and not just because I got to see this performance thanks to his generosity (yay for comp tickets!), but because I felt he added much more strength to the character. Blinkoff's age, build and physique present a better match to Macbeth as played by the very physical Bo Foxworth. Additionally, I felt his utter shock at hearing the news that his wife and children had been slaughtered, and the single, manly tear felt very real.
Alas, I won't be able to watch the Thanes performance, which is a shame, but next time I see something at Antaeus, I'll try to see both casts.
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