I’m psyched for Lauren Ambrose. She had a solid debut in Awake and Sing, getting some of the best reviews in the cast (example) – and now she’s playing Juliet in Shakespeare in the Park..
There’s something about her that has always moved me. She’s so full – of so much and yet (and this is key to her good-ness as an actress) so uncomfortable with being full. She fought against her own expression, her own emotions, in 6 Feet Under – like so many people do in real life – we don’t LIKE to cry, or be sad, or give up anger and be forgiving- we fight against these things. Sometimes with actors, tears or anger seem to come really cheap, because it’s a “skill”. But when Lauren Ambrose cried on 6 Feet Under, you could always feel her clenching her fists, willing the tears to stop, stop, stop, dammit, stop … She found tears embarrassing. Again, like so many people do. She grew on me . I wasn’t wacky about her at first, it took her a while to get into that character – AND once the series was renewed, she almost visibly relaxed, once she knew her job was safe, for at least another 6 or 7 months. You see that a lot – and she, as the most inexperienced actress in that cast, showed the “oh my god, will this job last?” anxiety more than the others. But once she relaxed? Once she knew she was safe? Great great stuff.
The review is interesting – but here I’m all choked up, reading this:
But it�s Ms. Ambrose who gives the production its devastatingly torn heart.
Best known as the petulant Claire in �Six Feet Under,� Ms. Ambrose, who recently appeared on Broadway in �Awake and Sing!,� makes Juliet into a compelling bundle of mixed instincts. Even at 14, she�s the smartest person in Verona, capable of analyzing exactly what�s happening to her. Had she lived, she might have been a Viola or Rosalind, a Shakespeare heroine to tutor brash men in the finer arts of loving.
But because she is 14 (and you don�t doubt it), Juliet leads not with her head but her hormones. Every line she utters is infused with equal amounts of intelligence and impetuosity. She has enough erotic life force for both herself and Romeo, but Mr. Isaac gallantly contributes his share. And without a hint of the now usually obligatory nudity, this couple can make a drawn-out kiss light up the night, as Michael Friedman�s mood-enhancing (but never mood-pushing) music swells in the background.
Red-haired and luminously pale, this Juliet is a such a brightly glowing candle that the water motif at last makes perfect sense in that final, fatal scene in the Capulet family tomb. It takes a whole lot of water to quench such a flame. But, ah my friends, before then, it gave a lovely light.
Yay for her!!!
Anyway, look at this photo of her as Juliet. See? There’s something about her. I feel all emotional just looking at her face there. She BLAZES with emotion.
And look at this set. I’ve heard much about it – but just look at this image.
That’s Lauren Ambrose as Juliet and Oscar Isaac as Romeo – he was Proteus in the Two Gents musical I saw in the park a couple summers ago. That was his debut – and now he’s back, as Romeo.
Not to diminish any of your thoughtful observations on the talents of Ms. Ambrose, but that Oscar Isaac dude is hot.
Hot hot hot!! When I saw 2 Gents, he had just graduated Juilliard, so he was a youngun. Seems to be maturing quite nicely. Ahem.
By the way, Emily – have you seen this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEc8v1OWeE4
I wish I was in NYC so that I could see this production. I so agree with you about her talent. At the beginning of Six Feet Under, Nate was ostensibly the “main” character we were meant to follow in the Fischer clan, but by the end of the series Lauren Ambrose had made Claire such a vivid, unique individual that she had become the heart and the soul of the show. (After all, she was the one who got the last moment–that amazing last moment.)
Erik – Yes! Totally right. She started as the rolling-eyed “whatever” teenager – and grew into this really wonderful character, deep and thoughtful – but still full of defenses, and craziness. I just loved her. And when she would break down, I always felt it – like, in my throat almost. You know how some other actors cry and you feel nothing? Like: oh, there’s an actor crying. I NEVER felt that way with her -I always felt like something was being wrenched out of her, when she cried – against her will.
She’s wonderful and I’m so excited for her that she’s getting these reviews.
My sisters and I were gonna go together – we were under the impression it was closing next week. But now that I know it’s closing on Sunday I think I might have to go get in line tomorrow to see if I can get tickets.
Have to think about it – but I really want to see this production.
Sheila,
That link! Hahaha. Brilliant.
I love her paleness and flaming red hair against his olive skin and dark hair. Man! Look at their faces together! So beautiful. An alchemy of opposites!
Unrelated …. is the stage of this production always wet like that, or had it rained?
Tracey – it’s an effect – the whole stage is covered with water like that for the entire production.
Sheil- are we going on Thursday? I havent’ heard from you or Siobhna – I can come down and wait in line with you…
Jean – did you not get my email?? I emailed you this past week – the damn show closes tomorrow!
But come down anyway for siobhan’s birthday!!
Lauren Ambrose is something special – what she did with Claire is amazing. But I have to watch 6 Feet Under on DVD and I’m just getting started on Season 3, so try not to hit me with too many spoilers! ;-)
Have you seen the most recent New Yorker? They reviewed R&J and the entire review is a love letter to Ms. Ambrose, and I thought of you as I was reading it just now. (Did you get in to see the play before it closed??? Did you stand in line and get tickets???)
From the New Yorker review:
“Lauren Ambrose’s Juliet emits the excitement of being–and of all that her being incurs, pleasant or painful.”
and
“Before seeing the show, I did not think that it was possible for an actress to discover anything new in the role of Juliet. But Ambrose finds so many colors to unfurl that you wonder if Shakespeare himself handed her some new ideas on the sly. You keep checking the text to see if she’s improvising. She isn’t, of course. Ambrose revels in the language she’s been given. And, because she understands the poetry of it, she frees herself to be physical: she’s the goofiest Juliet imaginable, a bride who is unmindful of hearth and home; she views love as her castle.”
The reviewer (Hilton Als) didn’t have very many nice things to say about any of the other actors, but he certainly loved his Juliet, and it makes me supremely bummed to be living on the other side of the country and have missed it.
//You keep checking the text to see if she’s improvising. She isn’t, of course. Ambrose revels in the language she’s been given. And, because she understands the poetry of it, she frees herself to be physical: she’s the goofiest Juliet imaginable, a bride who is unmindful of hearth and home; she views love as her castle.//
Good God.
//Isaac is adequate as Romeohe plays him as a kind of happy Hamletbut he ends up seeming a bit of a drip, the kind of guy you want to hurry off the phone.//
hahahaha
You know, i saw him in his debut as Proteus in 2 Gents a couple years ago – and granted, it was his debut – but he seemed very, uhm, obedient. You know? Like a good acting-class student. Which kind of makes for a boring actor. Maybe he’ll grow out of it – I don’t know, doesn’t seem likely.
Meryl Streep made her debut at the Delacorte in Taming of the Shrew when he was her age – and became an instant star. I’ve seen clips of that performance – I have goosebumps just remembering it.