Behind the Scenes with Julie Taymor

Magic boys Penn and Teller host this look at director Julie Taymor's innovative New York production of Shakespeare's The Tempest. According to an article in the New York Times (Sept. 6, 1992), "Research by the National Endowment for the Arts showed that at about 8 years of age children become very literal about art, begin obsessing about getting things right and, when they can't, often turn away from trying to create art." Behind the Scenes addresses this issue by showing kids how art is created and that artists are often most successful and creative when moving beyond literalism and making their own decisions about artistic expression. Director Julie Taymor's production of The Tempest is quite avant in terms of certain design elements and, most particularly, in her conceptual work with actors. My single criticism of this video is that it isn't long enough. Taymor's production was easily worth 45 to 60 minutes of video exploration. Spending more time with the designers, the percussionist who provided a good deal of the sound palette for the show, or Taymor herself, would only have added more depth to the presentation. Still, this enlightening and inexpensive program is highly recommended. Also available: Behind the Scenes with David Hockney. Aud: I, J, H, P. (P. Van Vleck)