How to do the Star Wars trilogy in 58 minutes

Ross, a professional actor who had spent years working with theater groups across Canada, knew how to mimic all the voices in “Star Wars” – as well as the fluorescent hum of a lightsaber – when he set about adapting the trilogy for stage. Ross and director T.J. Dawe then devised ways to physically represent each character so that the audience knows who they’re watching at any moment. At times, Ross seems to fully embody the roles he’s playing; at other times, he relies on a simple gesture as a shorthand. Leia’s infamous bun hairstyle, for example, is represented by hands cupped around the ears. The actor isn’t afraid to editorialize, either – Obi Wan’s nose does a Pinocchio every time he talks about how Luke’s father died. —Stephen HumphriesHow to do the Star Wars trilogy in 58 minutes (Christian Science Monitor)

The same actor also does a 60-minute Lord of the Rings — and I’m sure he’s spoofing the movies, not the books.

An interesting example of remediation. Much more creative and dependent upon performer talent than the Disney stage versions which re-create the cartoons that re-told stories from other genres. (Don’t forget Stoppard’s 15-minute Hamlet.)

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  • If you get a chance, I highly recommend checking out The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), which -- when I saw it at a little stage in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood in '99 -- was absolutely hilarious. All of Shakespeare in less than 100 minutes.

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Dennis G. Jerz

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