Much ado

pardonme — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:56:49 GMT

Pardon me if I don't get quite as excited about the pause at the end of Shakespeare's lines as Ron Rosenbaum is. Though there is indeed something of great value here, it isn't distinctly Shakespearean. What Edelstein has done is to bring to the aid of the Shakespearean actor a practice that can enliven any reading, any sensory or emotional experience, and any action. That practice is to center oneself in breath and to receive each moment in its singularity and fullness, rather than as just a small part of an allegedly more important whole. Edelstein is helping his actors to awaken to the living presence of the line just as teachers of Zen and other contemplative arts strive to awaken their students to Being itself. His insights and efforts should be applauded, but to hail them as something new under the sun is to overstate their significance.

The Spectator

Much ado