Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I had never heard of this play when I say the DVD on the shelf. So I got it, took it home, and watched it. I found it to be delightful. Martin Sheen glows in the bloom of his youth, Lotte Lenya is a hoot, and the rest of the cast, while unknown to me, were admirable, especially Janet Margolin as Esmeralda.
The production dates back to 1966, in a B&W TV staging for NET - National Educational TV. I suppose that is the predicessor of today's PBS. It was campy and fun, with lots of cheesy sets typical of live TV shows of the day. That aspect alone gives it an ambience that looks back to an earlier day of less than slick TV performances of more than worthy theatrical properties. Too bad such things are not particularly marketable today. Still, thanks to DVD, one can enjoy one of a kind performances like this one that would otherwise be lost.
This performance is apparently based on an early version of the play, rather than an "excised" version of the final published text. In my edition of Tennessee Williams plays, there is commentary on the fact that he reworked the material several times after its Broadway Premier before releasing the final published version. For that reason alone, this is an interesting historical document. What's more, this version, without commercials, fits neatly into the standard one hour TV time slot, and in my opinion, holds the stage quite well.
I really enjoyed the perfornace, and recommend it to anyone who is not put off by out of date TV production standards. If you are interested in a more "official" version of the play based on the final published text, there are always books at the library or book store. Meanwhile, this DVD will provide you with a good visual image while you read.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Ten Blocks on the Camino Real (Broadway Theatre Archive) (1966)
Martin Sheen stars as the eternal American G.I. Kilroy, a poetic soul condemned to spiritual death, in Tennessee Williams's allegorical one-act play. In a dreamlike fictitious Latin American country, a worn-out Casanova, a Camille living on memories, a Byron pitiful in his disillusioned pride, and others less famous live out a hopeless existence. Into this world comes Kilroy, an ex-boxer and perpetual fall guy, who asks so little and always gets short-changed, but never gives up hope. He is finally conned, or almost, into despairing subjection like the rest. "An allegory about people removed from time and geography..." --The New York Times. With Lotte Lenya, Tom Aldredge, Michael Baseleon, and Albert Dekker.
No comments:
Post a Comment