Making Theater: Rashomon—A Play is Born offers a backstage view of the preparation for a production of Rashomon, a play by Fay and Michael Kanin based on Akira Kurosawa's classic 1951 film, which questioned the possibility of achieving a true understanding of any event by dramatizing four radically different perspectives on a single incident—the rape of a woman by a highwayman and the subsequent death (whether by murder, suicide, or accident) of her husband. The original Broadway mounting starred Rod Steiger and Claire Bloom; this 1996 staging by Canada's Shaw Festival Repertory Company features a much less imposing cast. The documentary follows the process of building the performance, from director Neil Munro's initial decisions and first table readings, through workshops, rehearsals, scenery construction, costuming, and the final performance. For those involved in live theater, this will be a fascinating program, although its fragmentary, almost impressionistic, approach may prove a bit frustrating (those accustomed to being in the audience, on the other hand, may recall the old adage about sausage: as much as you may enjoy eating it, you might not care to know how it's made). Still, the film certainly illustrates the enormous thought and effort that underlies any serious theatrical production. DVD extras include a biography of filmmaker Anthony Azzopardi, a brief blurb on the Festival, and a printed précis on the history of the Rashomon story. Recommended, overall. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Making Theater: Rashomon—A Play is Born
(1997) 96 min. VHS: $19.98, DVD: $24.98. V.I.E.W. Video. Color cover. ISBN: 0-8030-2461-4 (dvd). Volume 21, Issue 5
Making Theater: Rashomon—A Play is Born
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