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Article: A Verse Epic, Uneven Yet Unnerving; 'Rape of Lucrece' Receives A Thought-Provoking Rewrite
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- February 15, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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The Shakespearean standards are for wimps. "Romeo and Juliet"?
"Hamlet"? "A Midsummer Night's Dream"? Tedious old chestnuts.
They've been thrust upon the public so often, there can be less
glory in staging them these days.
Mounting one of Shakespeare's narrative poems -- now that takes
a bit of nerve.
You can only admire the Washington Shakespeare Company for
presenting "Shakespeare's 'Rape of Lucrece,' " local playwright
Callie Kimball's adaptation of the Bard's verse epic. Not only is
"Rape of Lucrece" one of Shakespeare's lesser-read texts, but it
deals with a subject that makes your typical audience member
extremely uncomfortable.
Kimball and director Sarah Denhardt cannily exploit ...