“Throne of Blood”, a play from Ping Chong, had a great story line but a lack of excitement. The only part of the play that really caught my attention was the scary ghost and the annoying voice of Lady Asaji. I thought it was interesting how the play was an adaptation of a film; hopefully in the future upon viewing it I may be able to compare the two. My favorite part of the play was the amazing display of the ghost in the forest. I think I can speak for everyone that was sitting near me and say that the goal of setting the spooky mood was a success. From the costume to the sound effects the atmosphere was just perfect for these ghost scenes. The play over all I felt was a bit rushed, I got a bit confused at some points and if I had not had previous knowledge of Shakespeare’s Macbeth I may have not been able to understand what was going on. Especially towards the end of the play I was very confused and I strongly believe it was due to the fact that it was rushed. The beginning of the play was much more slow moving and easier to follow.
Charles Isherwood, the theatre critic for the New York Times, recently reviewed “Throne of Blood” and definitely did not hesitate to incorporate his many strong disliking’s of the play. He felt that the stage was too bare, the language was not all there, and basically the costumes were the only thing he saw as beautiful. Isherwood mention that, “The kimono first worn by Lady Asaji (Ako), Washizu’s wife, features a design of rich red dripping off the shoulders, foreshadowing her murderous ambitions.” I had taken notice to the red on the kimono because it was so vibrant, however I did not realize it was foreshadowing towards what was to come. It is interesting now to think back and understand that indeed it was. The highlight reel that was above the stage he felt was barely noticeable and not able capture the necessary atmosphere and I cannot argue against that. Isherwood felt that the ghost “…with his stark, kabuki-style makeup and waterfalls of white hair surrounding a tuft of bangs, the spirit seemed to me a vision of the quirky fashion designer Betsey Johnson in her dotage, more kooky than creepy.” I found this to be hysterical because I love Betsey Johnson, but I could not agree more!
Overall, I agree with Christopher Isherwood that the play was not all there. However, my disliking’s were definitely not as strong as his. I did enjoy the play and am very pleased to have seen it.
