British Universities Film & Video Council

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Cymbeline

Synopsis
Video recording of JoAnne Akalaitis’ production of Cymbeline for the 1989 New York Shakespeare Festival. George Bartenieff is Cymbeline and Joan Cusack is Imogen. Original music by Philip Glass.
Language
English
Country
United States
Medium
Video
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Recording date
24 Jun 1989
Duration
174 mins

Credits

Director
JoAnne Akalaitis
Music
Philip Glass
Production Design
George Tsypin
Costume
Ann Hould-Ward
Cast
George BartenieffCymbeline, King of Britain
Joan CusackImogen
Jeffrey NordlingPosthumus Leonatus
Michael CumpstyIachimo
Wendell PierceCloten
Don CheadleArviragus
Earl HindmanCaius Lucius
Frederick NeumannBelarius
Jesse BarregoGuiderius
Joan MacIntoshQueen
John Madden ToweyPhilario
Peter Francis JamesPisanio
Rajika PuriPhilharmonus, a Soothsayer

Additional Details

Theatre
Public/Newman Theatre, New York, NY
Production type
Stage Recordings
Historical period
Victorian
Plays
Cymbeline
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); New York Shakespeare Festival; Shakespeare Marathon (1987-1997); Race-blind casting

Notes

Stills
The director’s conceit, as stated in the program, is to stage the play ‘in the midst of Celtic ruins - a Romantic fantasy in Victorian England.'
Reviews
Rich, Frank. New York Times (1 June 1980) p. 17. Cloten is played by a black actor. Rich writes ‘We are also supposed to believe, in a celebrated scene, that Imogen would mistake Cloten’s decapitated torso for her husband’s, yet the scene and Imogen are rendered ridiculous here by the conflicting races of the confused corpses. It’s productions like this, which practice arbitrary tokenism rather than complete and consistent integration, that mock the dignified demands of the non-traditional casting movement’.

Archive

Name

Theatre on Film and Tape (TOFT)

Email
toft@nypl.org
Web
http://www.nypl.org/locations/lpa/theatre-film-and-tape-archive External site opens in new window
Phone
+ 1 (212) 870-1642
Fax
(212) 8701868
Address
Billy Rose Theatre Collection
40 Lincoln Center Plaza
New York,New York
10023-7498
USA

Record Stats

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