Review: Tiny Ninja Theater
TheaterMania, 4/9/03
"There's something irresistibly charming about seeing Shakespeare's works performed by miniature plastic figurines."
Article: Small Actors Make Big Splash
Dramatics, 4/03
"As Yoda says, ‘You do or you do not; there is no try.’"
Review: Theatre Pick for Week of March 4
FlavorPill.net, 3/4/03
"You think you've seen every twist on The Bard’s work humanly possible..."
Article: Fringe Hit Tiny Ninja Theater Returns to NYC
Playbill Online, 2/9/03
"Trevor Bigfoot as Mercutio — whose death scene has to be seen to be believed"
Article: Best of Charleston 2003
The Charleston City Paper, 1/03
"Readers Pick for Best Piccolo Spoleto Event"
Review: Shakespeare in a Shoebox
The Washington Post, 1/11/03
"Once you've seen its Romeo & Juliet, you'll want to come to back for figurine versions of Hamlet or Othello or whatever else." — Peter Marks
Review: Action Figure Genius
The Charleston City Paper, 10/02
"Quick, clever, and chock full of surprises, more than one audience member claimed that it even outperformed the hit interpretation of the Scottish play." — Colleen Reilly
Review: Freeze Frame
Creative Loafing Charlotte, 10/2/02
"I heartily recommend being among the lucky few when Weinstein & Co. return to Charlotte or Piccolo Spoleto." — Perry Tannenbaum
jump to the good bits
Review: Tiny Version of Macbeth is Giant Entertainment
The Charlotte Observer, 9/22/02
"Fresh, funny, ingenious and original." — JoAnn Grose
Review: Tiny Ninja Theater
Hairline, 8/02
"Four Stars: Tiny Ninja Theater is a fantastic and unorthodox show which represents what many love about the Edinburgh Festival." — Simon Ferguson
Review: Bard Takes a Flyer
Sunday Herald, 8/25/02
"Four Stars: Shakespeare is as equally at home among the ridiculous, of course." — Tim Abrahams
Review: Tiny Ninja Theater presents Macbeth
The Scotsman, 8/19/02
"Must be seen to be believed. " — Paul Rhodes
Review: Macbeth
Three Weeks, 8/17/02
"If a definition of the Fringe is originality and artistic expression, then this 35 minute abbreviated version of Macbeth, with tiny plastic ninjas as a cast, must surely rank as an ultimate example." — Paul Cochrane
Review: Mr. Smiley Face Macbeth
The Guardian, 8/10/02
"Weinstein plays it dead straight and speaks the text rather better than some classically trained actors I have heard." — Lyn Gardner
Review: Mini-Cawdor Steals Hearts
The List, 8/8/02
"a marvel of theatrical innovation" — Catherine Bromley
Review: No Drams Required
Edinburgh Guide, 8/3/02
"This is the only one I’m recommending to all my friends and the only thing I think I’ll make a return trip to!" — Annabel Ingram
Article: Ninja-cized Bard
Charleston Post & Courier, 6/1/02
Article: Tiny Ninja Theater Returns to Charleston
The State, 5/31/02
Review: Action Figure Genius
The Charleston City Paper, 5/29/02
Review: Tiny Ninjas Take On Shakespeare's Giant Roles
Charleston Post & Courier, 5/29/02
Article: Oh Tiny Romeo
The Charleston City Paper, 5/02
Article: What's The Buzz
The Charleston City Paper, 5/02
jump to the good bits
Article: Where to Celebrate Valentine's Day Solo
Time Out New York, 2/14/02
jump to the good bits
Review: Massaker im Spielzeugland
Taz Bremen, 1/22/02
the babelfish translation
Article: Best of Charleston 2001
The Charleston City Paper, 1/02
"Best Use of Plastic Figurines in a Performance" jump to the good bits
Article: Shakespeare de Plástico
Revista 2K, 6/22/01
the babelfish translation
Article: Piccolo's Prices Too Steep for Local Festival
The State, 6/10/01
jump to the good bits
Article: Spoleto Festival at 25
The New York Times, 6/5/01
jump to the good bits
Review: Tiny Ninjas Put Twist on the Bard
Charleston Post & Courier, 6/2/01
Review: Tiny Ninjas Project Big Illusion
The Charleston City Paper, 5/29/01
Review: No Small Jokes, Just Small Actors
Charleston Post & Courier, 5/29/01
Article: Immediate Art
The Charleston City Paper, 5/01
jump to the good bits
Article: Serious Shakespeare Takes But An Inch
The Charleston City Paper, 5/01
Review: Sightlines: Tom Waits in the Toilet
The Village Voice, 4/27/01
Article: All Is But Toys
Stage Directions, 3/01
jump to the good bits
Article: The Bard's New Band of Merry Men Perform Macbeth
American Theater, 12/00
Article: Off-Off color: Toy Story
Time Out New York, 11/9/00
jump to the good bits
Review: Street of Blood, Tiny Ninja Theater presents Macbeth
NEXT Magazine, 9/15/00
jump to the good bits
Article: Is That a Ninja That I See Before Me?
Playbill Online, 8/30/00
Review: Oh, Forget the Money, Let's Dress Up and Play
The New York Times, 8/26/00
jump to the good bits
Review: Fringe Binge
Time Out New York, 8/24/00
jump to the good bits
Review: Fringe Benefits
The Village Voice, 8/23/00
jump to the good bits
Review: As The Bard Himself Might Put it...
newyork.citysearch.com, 8/20/00
Review: Tiny Ninja Macbeth, Finally, Little Green Man
TheaterMania.com, 8/18/00
jump to the good bits
Article: Off-Off and Running
Time Out New York, 8/10/00
jump to the good bits
|
|
|
|
Oh Tiny Romeo
Ninja
Theatre, take two
By Colleen Reilly
Who knows wherefore theatre artist Dov Weinstein hitched his wagon to inch-high plastic ninjas, but the two certainly seem to be star-crossed. Hailing from New York, Weinstein notes, “I had noticed that there were these tiny plastic ninjas in vending machines all across the city, but no one was using them to perform classical theater. Something had to be done.”
Launched at the 2000 New York Fringe Festival, Tiny Ninja
Theatre is now receiving international recognition.
Having recently returned from a tour of Germany and
Sweden, Weinstein and the Tiny Ninja Company are
diligently preparing for their world premiere of Romeo
and Juliet at the Piccolo Fringe at Theatre 99. This is a
return date for Weinstein and the Ninjas, whose Macbeth
astounded critics and audiences alike at last year’s
Piccolo festival. As co-producer Jonathan Van Gieson
states, “I think it’s fair to say that
Charleston loved the ninjas, and the ninjas loved
Charleston.”
Charleston certainly did love the ninjas at last
year’s festival. Performances of Macbeth steadily
sold out, and the limited seating only heightened
desperate acts to get in to see it. “It was
crazy,” recounts Theatre 99 house manager Katie
McDonald. “People were in some kind of ninja
frenzy.” This year has seen added performances of
Tiny Ninja Theatre in the Piccolo Fringe at Theatre 99
schedule and some additional training for the Theatre 99
front-of-house staff. “Those ninjas have shown me a
thing or two about crowd control,” admits McDonald.
Why the fuss? Well, this is not an ordinary puppet
theatre. Performed on a table-top stage the size of a
briefcase and viewed through binoculars, these plastic
figurines pack a big dramatic wallop. This is not simply
a theatrical performance, but some kind of strange and
wonderful phenomena. Last year’s Macbeth was a
Shakespearean triumph, conveying the suspense, tragedy,
and humanity contained in the much abridged Shakespearean
text. As Weinstein describes, “Tragedy is the
ninjas’ strong point, but with Romeo and Juliet, we
would like to explore a younger feeling.”
That younger feeling may require some new casting. And it
seems there is potential that the famous Capulet and
Montague rivalry has bled over to the ninjas and last
year’s stars Mr. and Mrs. Smile. Weinstein himself
has been quoted as saying, “This is Tiny Ninja
Theater, not Arrogant Smile-Faced Prima Donna Couple
Theater. Mr. and Mrs. Smile might do well to consider
that there is no ‘I’ in company.” When
asked about this statement, he quickly counters,
“Many of the old ninjas will be returning, and
although Mr. and Mrs. Smile will be making an appearance,
they will not be playing Romeo and Juliet. They have a
kind of maturity, a tragic flair, and the lead roles will
require younger blood.”
Younger blood, or taller? Weinstein admits that taller
ninjas, along with other new figures, will be gracing the
stage in the premiere production. They will be joining a
company of over 100 assorted dime store action figurines.
And, although Weinstein himself is careful to keep out of
the limelight, he admits he may be taking a more active
role in this Romeo and Juliet. While he remains
tightlipped about the final casting decisions, he admits,
“People seemed to like watching me. We may really
play with that dynamic in this production.”
He’s hard not to watch. A skilled puppeteer and
experienced actor, Weinstein commands the stage of ninjas
with an absolute and seemingly effortless power. He
achieves his stagings with recklessly simple materials
like cardboard, glue, and everyday household items.
Ninjas are moved by hand or attached to mobile platforms
and revolving playing spaces. Weinstein’s delivery
of Shakespearean verse is impeccable, matched by a keen
understanding of the complexity of Shakespeare’s
imagery and rhythm. But there will be no two-hour traffic
on this stage. Like Macbeth, this Romeo and Juliet will
be generously abridged.
In spite of their abbreviated interpretations, it is
clear the ninjas themselves have come to love
Shakespeare’s words, reportedly hosting cabaret
nights in which they stage the sonnets. Unavailable for
comment, the ninjas did express through Weinstein their
excitement about returning to Charleston.
In fact, it seems that this premiere of Romeo and Juliet
was inspired in part by the company’s participation
in last year’s Piccolo Fringe at Theatre 99. Macbeth
audiences expressed an enthusiastic interest in seeing
Shakespeare’s classic love story performed Tiny
Ninja-style. The domestic tragedy is a bit of a shift
from the high stakes of Macbeth, but Weinstein sees some
similiarities. “The Macbeths possibly could be what
Romeo and Juliet would have become had they lived. Their
early courtship is that intense.”
Speaking of intense, the race for tickets is on. There
are only 15 performances of Romeo and Juliet scheduled
and seating is extremely limited. Don’t pull a Romeo
and show up late. Missing this world premiere would be
nothing short of tragic.
|
|
