Whitney White’s All Is But Fantasy: All-Female Shakespeare Musical Debuts at RSC

Summary of the article:

this article details the creation and upcoming Royal Shakespeare Company staging of Adjoa Andoh’s gig-theater production, All Is But Fantasy.

Key points:

* Frustration with Limited Roles: Andoh, a seasoned actress, felt consistently typecast in minor Shakespearean roles, highlighting a lack of diversity in leading lady casting a decade ago.
* the Genesis of All Is But fantasy: The project began with Andoh hearing rock and roll in Macbeth and identifying a pattern – her favorite Shakespearean female characters (Lady Macbeth, Juliet, Emilia, Cleopatra) all meet tragic ends.
* Exploring Fatal Female Arcs: The production investigates themes of female ambition,power,and mortality,questioning the acceptance of women’s untimely deaths in these classic plays. It’s deeply personal, influenced by the loss of women in Andoh’s own life.
* The role of the Witches: Andoh centers the witches from Macbeth, portraying them as powerful, humane figures and allies, particularly important for a Black woman telling this story. She reclaims the image of witches as “holy women” offering prayers through spells.
* Communal Witnessing: The production aims to create a space for shared experience and processing of trauma.

In essence, All Is But Fantasy is a boundary-breaking work that uses Shakespeare to explore contemporary issues of gender, race, and loss, while challenging traditional interpretations of these iconic characters.