Measure For Measure
ABOUT US
“All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances...”
William Shakespeare believed in the theatre as a people’s art-form, he wrote plays which concentrated on delivering stories in an entertaining - theatrical - fashion.
That is, his plays were not emanating from and therefore not beholding to wealthy patronage and do not reflect contemporary political persons or events; he was telling entertaining stories.
FIRST TAKE THEATRE
FIRST TAKE THEATRE wants to take Shakespeare to Dublin, to take a troubadour’s view of producing his work in the 21 century.
A central concept is that Shakespeare is ‘everyman’ and that ‘everyman’ should access Shakespeare.
With that in mind First Take Theatre want to film 2,000 Irish citizens reciting a line of Shakespeare each; the entirety to comprise a film of the play Measure for Measure.
The film hopes to feature every type of face, men, women, old, young, priests, poets, punks, goths, hippies, hipsters, beardies, clean-shaven and many more will make the melting pot; it will be done in 2,000 ‘one take’ shots.
The project also consists of building a medieval traveling soundstage (pictures attached) which is being built in a studio kindly loaned out to FTT.
SUMMARY
MEASURE FOR MEASURE - deals with the abuse of male-patriarchal power and the casual acceptance of sexual violence.
The central theme that is justice must be applied equally to male and female, rich and poor, you and old - something which has according 21st century resonation.
The text retains a wonderful vibrancy, timely 21st century resonating given modern/recent developments in this area.
This central theme to what is a very-well plotted play with, it is universally agreed, some of Shakespeare’s female ensemble will be reflected across the very-varied cast, male and, female, rich and poor, for whom all the world’s their stage....
