HARDY FORUM ARCHIVE HO3024 4/12/03 "HARDY ON STAGE AND SCREEN"
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From: "harrybatt" <harrybatt@mn.rr.com>
Cc: "John Bridell" <harrybatt@mn.rr.com>
Subject: FFMC at the Lifeline Theater
Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2003 22:15:11 -0500
Judy and I saw the Lifeline Theater performance of FFMC during
its' first week. We were anticipating a lot of set problems,
and worse difficulties when we found that the cast consisted
of several players performing more than 4 parts apiece.
Then the show began. It turned into genius. They used
transititions by relying upon an actor reading exact quotes
from the text. Those quotes gave the play authenticity.
The country bumpkin characters drew a lot of chuckles which
is exactly what Hardy wanted from his uneducated Ag Labs.
Then, there was the actor who didn't appear on the program--
the El. The elevated railroad ran and rumbled on tracks
immediately across the street. If I didn't know better,
I would have sworn that the playright timed the ricks storm
scene with the El's thunderous passage. If the theater wasn't
enough, it was a great week-end. We stayed in Evanston.
The El into Chicago ran past Wrigley Field where years ago
I had seen my first major league baseball game. The El stopped
just short of the old Avalon, ballroom superb from the 1930s, 40s,
and 50s; where Lawrence Welk did big band duty back in those days
with the Champagne Lady. He was one of the three big bands who
carried a whistler. Anyone who is making last minute plans
to attend FFMC at the Lifeline Theater will be pleased as punch.
/s/ John R. Bridell, Minneapolis, MN as harrybatt@mn.rr.com
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Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2003 12:47:34 -0400
From: Rosemarie Morgan <rosemarie.morgan@yale.edu>
Subject: Re: FFMC Production
I'm renewing this posting now that we are coming up to the week of
performance:
>Lifeline Theatre in Chicago is producing a world premiere adaptation of FAR
>FROM THE MADDING CROWD, which runs FROM FEB 14 - APRIL 20, 2003.
>
>sherman shoemaker
>lifeline theatre
>ltheate1860@earthlink.net
>_________________
>
>Thanks,
>RM
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From: "harrybatt" <harrybatt@mn.rr.com>
Subject: UK Hardy TV Production
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003 14:58:12 -0500
A LAVISH production of Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge
is set to hit the small screen this summer nearly three years
after it was made.
Production crews for the ITV drama spent three-and-a-half weeks
in Dorset during the summer of 2000 filming the programme.
But despite countless promises from TV bosses that the £4 million
two-part drama was going to be aired it has not seen the light of day since.
Now the programme is back in the schedules and a spokesman for
Sally Head Productions, which was commissioned to make the programme
for ITV, said that it should be screened later in the summer. A final
screening date will be released nearer the time
[I pulled this off a recent issue of the Weymouth News. /s/
John R. Bridell, Minneapolis, MN, USA]
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Subject: The Mayor of Casterbridge video
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003 15:16:04 -0500
From: "Mink, Joanna" <joanna.mink@mnsu.edu>
The earlier production (1970's?) of _The Mayor_ (starring Alan Bates)
is set to be released on VHS and DVD on or about May 27, 2003.
(At least, this is the case in the US and Canada.) I saw it
advertised on target.com for 59.95 USD but amazon.com lists it for
44.96 USD with free shipping. It can be pre-ordered both places.
I vaguely remember seeing it televised in the '70s. It must have
been quite well-done for me to recall it after all these years!
JoAnna S. Mink
Professor of English
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Mankato, MN 56001
joanna.mink@mnsu.edu
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From: Jcphardysoc@aol.com
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003 16:52:33 EDT
Subject: Re: The Mayor of Casterbridge video
: list
Status:
Dear Forum Readers
Good news indeed about the screening of the 'new' British TV adaptation
of The Mayor. A BBC video of the 1978 Alan Bates version has long been
available in the UK - at least I believe it's still 'in print'.
Best wishes
John Pentney
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From: "harrybatt" <harrybatt@mn.rr.com>
Subject: Re: The Mayor of Casterbridge video
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003 16:24:34 -0500
Joanna: Tousen tak for the tip about this vhs. I wasn't aware
that there was going to be a vhs available. It is a tape that
I certainly want to order. john bridell
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Date: Thu, 01 May 2003 16:12:05 -0400
Subject: Re: The Mayor of Casterbridge video--dvd
From: "Philip & Andrea Allingham" <apalling@tbaytel.net>
Dear All:
The news about the release of both versions of *The Mayor of
Casterbridge* was welcome. Although the release date is May 2th,
the Amazon.ca site is current taking advance orders for the
three-dvd version of the 1978 six-hour production for $60 Cdn.
plus attendant taxes, with shipping within the confines of the
Dominion gratis.
P. V. Allingham
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