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Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue #2
Πάρκο Στράτφορντ - Ο θίασος του μεσονυχτίου παρουσιάζει Ρωμαίος και Ιουλιέτα
Από το οπισθόφυλλο:
Ο ζωολογικός κήπος του Στράτφορντ μοιάζει σαν όλους τους άλλους... Μέχρι να πέσει το σκοτάδι και να κλείσουν οι πύλες.
Τότε, τα ζώα βγαίνουν από τα κλουβιά και ερμηνεύουν στο σανίδι σαιξπηρικά αριστουργήματα! Δεν μιλάμε για τίποτα λαμπρούς ηθοποιούς· πάντως, έχουν καρδιά - όπως και δοντάρες, φτερά, λέπια, ουρές. Σ'αυτές τις μεταμεσονύχτιες παραστάσεις του Πάρκου Στράτφορντ, η ξεκαρδιστική πλοκή του Ίαν Λέντλερ συνδυάζεται τέλεια με τα πανέμορφα, εύγλωττα σκίτσα του Ζακ Τζιαλόνγκο. Πάρτε θέσεις λοιπόν και ετοιμαστείτε για την πιο αστεία (και πιο τριχωτή) εκδοχή της ρομαντικότερης σαιξπηρικής τραγωδίας που έχετε δει ποτέ!
Ο ζωολογικός κήπος του Στράτφορντ μοιάζει σαν όλους τους άλλους... Μέχρι να πέσει το σκοτάδι και να κλείσουν οι πύλες.
Τότε, τα ζώα βγαίνουν από τα κλουβιά και ερμηνεύουν στο σανίδι σαιξπηρικά αριστουργήματα! Δεν μιλάμε για τίποτα λαμπρούς ηθοποιούς· πάντως, έχουν καρδιά - όπως και δοντάρες, φτερά, λέπια, ουρές. Σ'αυτές τις μεταμεσονύχτιες παραστάσεις του Πάρκου Στράτφορντ, η ξεκαρδιστική πλοκή του Ίαν Λέντλερ συνδυάζεται τέλεια με τα πανέμορφα, εύγλωττα σκίτσα του Ζακ Τζιαλόνγκο. Πάρτε θέσεις λοιπόν και ετοιμαστείτε για την πιο αστεία (και πιο τριχωτή) εκδοχή της ρομαντικότερης σαιξπηρικής τραγωδίας που έχετε δει ποτέ!
104 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2015
6 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Ian Lendler
21 books39 followersIan Lendler is, first and foremost, a person. After that, the details get a bit sketchy. We’re pretty sure he has two arms and two legs. There are rumors of a third thumb, which you may laugh about now but let’s see what you think 1,000 years from now when evolution decides that three thumbs is way better because you can use can-openers more efficiently and hitchhike with aplomb and everyone will laugh about the old days when everyone was a “two-thumber.”
But I digress.
I am a writer. I grew up in Connecticut and NYC, but now I live near San Francisco, CA. My books are below. I sincerely hope you enjoy them. Thank you for visiting.
But I digress.
I am a writer. I grew up in Connecticut and NYC, but now I live near San Francisco, CA. My books are below. I sincerely hope you enjoy them. Thank you for visiting.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
April 27, 2016
This is every freakin' shade of adorable!
After the zookeepers have gone home for the night, a tragedy occurs. Fear not - it is the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, and it is performed by animals, for animals. We get to see all the drama taking place onstage AND in the audience, as forest resident Juliet meets petting zoo denizen Romeo. BUT, the Wilders and the Petters can't be friends, and therein lies the tale.
Since this is aimed at children, a few things have been changed. Romeo and Juliet are just friends who have playdates, and there is no "happy dagger" to ruin this romance. The comments from the peanut gallery are priceless, particularly the quips uttered by a Waldorf and Statler-like duo of vultures. And, the art work is just superb.
Also of interest are the Notes from the Director at the back of the book. Here we learn that staged sword fighting can be quite dangerous, and that William Shakespeare may have stolen his idea from a two thousand year old story called "Pyramus and Thisbe."
Our furry troupe has already performed Macbeth in a previous book. The authors promise a comedy's the next thing. I hope they do Much Ado About Nothing. After all, man (and animal) is a giddy thing.
After the zookeepers have gone home for the night, a tragedy occurs. Fear not - it is the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, and it is performed by animals, for animals. We get to see all the drama taking place onstage AND in the audience, as forest resident Juliet meets petting zoo denizen Romeo. BUT, the Wilders and the Petters can't be friends, and therein lies the tale.
Since this is aimed at children, a few things have been changed. Romeo and Juliet are just friends who have playdates, and there is no "happy dagger" to ruin this romance. The comments from the peanut gallery are priceless, particularly the quips uttered by a Waldorf and Statler-like duo of vultures. And, the art work is just superb.
Also of interest are the Notes from the Director at the back of the book. Here we learn that staged sword fighting can be quite dangerous, and that William Shakespeare may have stolen his idea from a two thousand year old story called "Pyramus and Thisbe."
Our furry troupe has already performed Macbeth in a previous book. The authors promise a comedy's the next thing. I hope they do Much Ado About Nothing. After all, man (and animal) is a giddy thing.
August 20, 2016
***Wanda’s Summer Carnival of Children’s Literature***
The second installment of this graphic novel series and it is every bit as cute and smart as the first one. More lessons on what theatre is all about. The lion, who played Macbeth in the first book, now plays Juliet’s parent-approved love interest, Parry. When a young monkey in the audiences says, “Look, there’s Macbeth,” his mother explains to him about actors and that in this play the lion is Parry.
The two old vultures in the upper balcony reminded me strongly of the two hecklers in the Muppet Show, although they merely comment on various topics rather than heckling the actors.
Romeo is a rooster from a petting zoo and Juliet is a bear, living in “the wild” (say that like the penguins in Madagascar for an authentic feeling, I think). Romeo longs to walk on the wild side, while Juliet spends some time contemplating what it would feel like to be petted. They both just want to be best friends and have regular play dates. The whole petted vs. wilder dichotomy is reflected in the audience too, as a young monkey and a lamb begin as kids who don’t like each other and progress to build a friendship.
There are running gags, like bears always wanting to pee on woodchucks and the roosters putting on Lone Ranger type masks and being perfectly disguised. Once again, the elephant arrives late (this time with a date) and blocks the rest of the audience during a crucial scene.
Very cute. If you enjoyed the Macbeth version, you will also enjoy Romeo & Juliet.
The second installment of this graphic novel series and it is every bit as cute and smart as the first one. More lessons on what theatre is all about. The lion, who played Macbeth in the first book, now plays Juliet’s parent-approved love interest, Parry. When a young monkey in the audiences says, “Look, there’s Macbeth,” his mother explains to him about actors and that in this play the lion is Parry.
The two old vultures in the upper balcony reminded me strongly of the two hecklers in the Muppet Show, although they merely comment on various topics rather than heckling the actors.
Romeo is a rooster from a petting zoo and Juliet is a bear, living in “the wild” (say that like the penguins in Madagascar for an authentic feeling, I think). Romeo longs to walk on the wild side, while Juliet spends some time contemplating what it would feel like to be petted. They both just want to be best friends and have regular play dates. The whole petted vs. wilder dichotomy is reflected in the audience too, as a young monkey and a lamb begin as kids who don’t like each other and progress to build a friendship.
There are running gags, like bears always wanting to pee on woodchucks and the roosters putting on Lone Ranger type masks and being perfectly disguised. Once again, the elephant arrives late (this time with a date) and blocks the rest of the audience during a crucial scene.
Very cute. If you enjoyed the Macbeth version, you will also enjoy Romeo & Juliet.
September 11, 2015
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t read a lot of middle grade graphic novels but I have to say that one of my all-time favorites was Macbeth (Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue). Macbeth was the first edition of the so-called Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue series that is hopefully an ongoing one. I was so excited after I read Macbeth because I laughed so much and there was a promise of more! Then when I got the chance to read the next installment early—well, suffice it to say I couldn’t wait and read it months ahead of time (which I usually don’t do due to just being the important person I am).
Romeo and Juliet was definitely way different from the rendition of Macbeth that I so loved. In fact, it seems like there are more differences than similarities, but perhaps I should list them to best see what made this fall short for me. Yet, I think it’s important to say that I didn’t hate this. Maybe it was the similarities that made me give this 3 stars…?
Similarities (in this case: aka: PROS)
-Comical take on shakespeare
-it still is a play set by the animals in a zoo after the zoo closes and when the guards are asleep
-graphically the same artistic style (which was great)
-Same type of humor, although less hilarious for adults (not sure about kids, i’ll get back to you on that).
Differences (“ “ CONS)
-Plot really changed with this one… a lot more “kid friendly” meant no romance at all it was a friendship between the two characters that was discouraged (one was from the zoo the other was “wild”)
-the plot was a lot more back and forth with the audience, we had some monkeys fighting
some vultures (?) commentary too white watching the play (unnecessary imo)
-more tame, pun intended?
-no longer a type of story that adults can read to their kids while both laughing (at maybe different parts of the same joke). That was a true loss, in my view.
So it seems there are many more differences than similarities with the first edition of this series. I hope the series continues but mostly I hope that they stay more towards Macbeth. I liked that one so much more because of these above reasons!
I feel like when you find something unique you want to shout it from the rooftops. With Romeo and Juliet I felt like it made Shakespeare a bit boring and with a graphic novel, one that is set in a zoo with animals telling the story —boring is something you do not want to incite! So I will be keeping my eyes open for where this series will lead but I have to say:
I would probably only recommend this to lovers of middle grade graphic novels specifically kids who want to read shakespeare (or who wish to read a cute story). The graphics are great, but parents, you won’t get too many laughs in while reading this aloud to your tots.
———————————————
Cute and funny. Not as good as the last one, Macbeth, but I did really enjoy it.
December 30, 2018
My youngest one read this one to me over the course of several days. She loved that she is familiar with the story of Romeo and Juliet and so kept recognizing plot elements. This has the animals performing the play and even has a chorus to keep the performers and the reader on their toes.
This is a fun way to introduce younger kids to the classics.
We have Macbeth on our TBR.
This is a fun way to introduce younger kids to the classics.
We have Macbeth on our TBR.
July 18, 2019
A graphic adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. When the Stratford Zoo closes for the day and the zookeeper is busy cleaning up, the animals have a subversive social life and put on plays. Unfortunately, this doesn't work as well as The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Macbeth. Changing the love relationship to friendship waters down the motivations of the characters and strays too far from the original. The conflict between wild animals and "petters" is clever, but the execution is too heavy-handed. The full-color art is high quality. I loved the creators' adaptation of Macbeth and hope they try again.
September 30, 2015
http://openbooksociety.com/article/th...
The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Romeo and Juliet
Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue, Book #2
By Ian Lendler
ISBN13: 9781596439160
Author’s Website: http://www.ianlendler.com
Review brought to you by OBS staff member Andra
Synopsis:
The Stratford Zoo looks like a normal zoo . . . until the gates shut at night. That’s when the animals come out of their cages to stage elaborate performances of Shakespeare’s greatest works. They might not be the most accomplished thespians, but they’ve got what counts: heart. Also fangs, feathers, scales, and tails.
Ian Lendler‘s hilarious tale of after-hours animal stagecraft is perfectly paired with the adorable, accessible artwork of Zack Giallongo (Broxo,Ewoks) in this side-splitting companion to their graphic novelThe Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Macbeth.
Review:
I must admit, this is my first graphic novel since my teenage years and even at that, graphic novels were not my norm. A fast paced read, intertwining characters from all animal species while telling the tale of Romeo and Juliet, was extremely entertaining. Almost from the beginning I had a smile on my face which was there continuously until the very end. Even the director’s notes to himself and the notes to the cast and crew were fitting of the story as it was told.
The dialogue between the vultures had me in stiches…loved them! Actually, I really enjoyed the whole book! And let me not forget to mention the young monkey….he was great. I loved in the end that the monkey and the lamb were friends…. :)
My daughter wanted to know what I was laughing so hard about while I was reading (I was just reading the part where the vendor was selling “greasy, grimy gopher guts” to the crowd). I giggled at the peacock’s statement during the play “Shove it buddy, I don’t close my feathers for nobody” when another audience member could not see around the peacock. And then the elephants arrived and no one in the audience could see around them
While the story as it is told is not exactly like the original telling of Romeo and Juliet, I think it is a good introduction to younger students of Shakespeare.
This version of Romeo and Juliet (with the animals in the Stratford Zoo) was just so much fun to read. I will be on the lookout to read the Macbeth story that was published previously. And so will my teenage daughter.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Romeo and Juliet
Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue, Book #2
By Ian Lendler
ISBN13: 9781596439160
Author’s Website: http://www.ianlendler.com
Review brought to you by OBS staff member Andra
Synopsis:
The Stratford Zoo looks like a normal zoo . . . until the gates shut at night. That’s when the animals come out of their cages to stage elaborate performances of Shakespeare’s greatest works. They might not be the most accomplished thespians, but they’ve got what counts: heart. Also fangs, feathers, scales, and tails.
Ian Lendler‘s hilarious tale of after-hours animal stagecraft is perfectly paired with the adorable, accessible artwork of Zack Giallongo (Broxo,Ewoks) in this side-splitting companion to their graphic novelThe Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Macbeth.
Review:
I must admit, this is my first graphic novel since my teenage years and even at that, graphic novels were not my norm. A fast paced read, intertwining characters from all animal species while telling the tale of Romeo and Juliet, was extremely entertaining. Almost from the beginning I had a smile on my face which was there continuously until the very end. Even the director’s notes to himself and the notes to the cast and crew were fitting of the story as it was told.
The dialogue between the vultures had me in stiches…loved them! Actually, I really enjoyed the whole book! And let me not forget to mention the young monkey….he was great. I loved in the end that the monkey and the lamb were friends…. :)
My daughter wanted to know what I was laughing so hard about while I was reading (I was just reading the part where the vendor was selling “greasy, grimy gopher guts” to the crowd). I giggled at the peacock’s statement during the play “Shove it buddy, I don’t close my feathers for nobody” when another audience member could not see around the peacock. And then the elephants arrived and no one in the audience could see around them
While the story as it is told is not exactly like the original telling of Romeo and Juliet, I think it is a good introduction to younger students of Shakespeare.
This version of Romeo and Juliet (with the animals in the Stratford Zoo) was just so much fun to read. I will be on the lookout to read the Macbeth story that was published previously. And so will my teenage daughter.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
January 13, 2019
Not as good as the last one, but also not as much of a fan of RNJ. However, it is still laugh-out loud funny, though the theme of acceptance based on whether or not you're a "wild" or "petter" animal hits you over the head kind of hard.
The Stratford Zoo players try Romeo and Juliet, this time, instead of romance, as "best friends", featuring returning players, Lion as Parry (Paris), Owl as Friar Lawrence, the trio of animals who portrayed the witches (a rabbit, a koala and a lemur) as the Vet, but this time stars Rooster as Romeo and Bear as Juliet, along with a kapuchin monkey as the zookeeper, and a second rooster as Mercutio.
The great thing about each of these graphic novels exposing kids to Shakespeare is they show it through the animal audience's eyes, usually a mother monkey and her 3 offspring, one of whom now wants to be an actor and a stantler/waldorf duo of vultures (who convey the adult's opinions throughout)...
The ideas of parent-hood, innocence of youth, and wanting to be "wild and free" but choose your own path are all more present.
There are hints at a third revue down the road, this time comedic.
The Stratford Zoo players try Romeo and Juliet, this time, instead of romance, as "best friends", featuring returning players, Lion as Parry (Paris), Owl as Friar Lawrence, the trio of animals who portrayed the witches (a rabbit, a koala and a lemur) as the Vet, but this time stars Rooster as Romeo and Bear as Juliet, along with a kapuchin monkey as the zookeeper, and a second rooster as Mercutio.
The great thing about each of these graphic novels exposing kids to Shakespeare is they show it through the animal audience's eyes, usually a mother monkey and her 3 offspring, one of whom now wants to be an actor and a stantler/waldorf duo of vultures (who convey the adult's opinions throughout)...
The ideas of parent-hood, innocence of youth, and wanting to be "wild and free" but choose your own path are all more present.
There are hints at a third revue down the road, this time comedic.
January 5, 2018
Μπορώ να πω ότι με κέρδισαν αυτά τα δύο από τα εξώφυλλα τους. Και ότι τα πήρα 10 ευρώ και τα δύο
Όντως αρκετά παιδικά. Βλέπουμε διάφορα ζώα του ζωολογικού κήπου να ανεβάζουν παραστάσεις του Σαίξπηρ, πάντα σε χιουμοριστικά πλαίσια κρατώντας την πολύ βασική πλοκή ενώ προσθέτουν σύγχρονα στοιχεία (π.χ. ταμπελάκι έξω από το κάστρο του Μακμπέθ που γράφει "όχι Wi-Fi" ) . Αν είχα παιδιά θα τους τα έδινα να τα διαβάσουν, θα έπαιρναν κάτι έστω και σε αυτή την απλοϊκή μορφή.
Ωραίο ήταν που παράλληλα με τις πράξεις των τραγωδιών είχε καρεδάκια που σχολίαζαν τα υπόλοιπα ζώα-θεατές που παρακολουθούσαν την παράσταση. Οι δύο ιστορίες είναι αυτοτελείς αλλά και εγώ θεωρώ ότι πρέπει να αντιμετωπίζονται ως σειρά αφού στην αρχή του δεύτερου ένα μαϊμουδάκι λέει κάτι του στιλ "ελπίζω να είναι καλύτερο το "Ρωμαίος και Ιουλιέτα" από την προηγούμενη παράσταση φόλα". Το συμπάθησα το μαϊμουδάκι.
Όντως αρκετά παιδικά. Βλέπουμε διάφορα ζώα του ζωολογικού κήπου να ανεβάζουν παραστάσεις του Σαίξπηρ, πάντα σε χιουμοριστικά πλαίσια κρατώντας την πολύ βασική πλοκή ενώ προσθέτουν σύγχρονα στοιχεία (π.χ. ταμπελάκι έξω από το κάστρο του Μακμπέθ που γράφει "όχι Wi-Fi" ) . Αν είχα παιδιά θα τους τα έδινα να τα διαβάσουν, θα έπαιρναν κάτι έστω και σε αυτή την απλοϊκή μορφή.
Ωραίο ήταν που παράλληλα με τις πράξεις των τραγωδιών είχε καρεδάκια που σχολίαζαν τα υπόλοιπα ζώα-θεατές που παρακολουθούσαν την παράσταση. Οι δύο ιστορίες είναι αυτοτελείς αλλά και εγώ θεωρώ ότι πρέπει να αντιμετωπίζονται ως σειρά αφού στην αρχή του δεύτερου ένα μαϊμουδάκι λέει κάτι του στιλ "ελπίζω να είναι καλύτερο το "Ρωμαίος και Ιουλιέτα" από την προηγούμενη παράσταση φόλα". Το συμπάθησα το μαϊμουδάκι.
first-second-publications
October 15, 2015This graphic novel by Ian Lendler and Zack Giallongo is the sequel to THE STRATFORD ZOO MIDNIGHT REVUE PRESENTS MACBETH -- and it's another adaptation of one of Shakespeare's classic plays, presented by the animals of the Stratford Zoo.
I really like Ian and Zack's spin on this play -- I think it's really interesting that they took the classical love story and turned it into a piece about true friendship. Friendship is pretty awesome, and not something that there are many classic stories about as deathless love, so I'm all for that!
Also, the kid animal friendship in this graphic novel is just adorable.
I really like Ian and Zack's spin on this play -- I think it's really interesting that they took the classical love story and turned it into a piece about true friendship. Friendship is pretty awesome, and not something that there are many classic stories about as deathless love, so I'm all for that!
Also, the kid animal friendship in this graphic novel is just adorable.
September 4, 2017
I think I enjoyed this retelling of the Shakespearean classic almost as much as the Stratford Zoo's version of Macbeth. I'm not sure I see quite why the creators changed the romance aspect into "best friendship" (except for the bedroom scene, but they could have toned that down). Still, it was fun and makes my kids want to see Shakespeare--and as a parent, I particularly enjoyed the frame story. My son also really liked the director's notes at the end, and Lender sneaks in a little more about Shakespeare. Now to sell it to the middle schoolers!
June 29, 2017
I applaud the effort in retelling Shakespeare in a beautiful graphic novel that will attract a young audience. This effort went a little too far in adaptation to almost render the original unrecognizable. The art is wonderful, the plot clever, the setting wonderful. The animal audience attending the play and their comments are great in expanding the way you are to think about the play. I am sorry, but I just loved Macbeth better.
March 9, 2016
Another after-hours Shakespeare performance by zoo animals, this time a compressed funny graphic retelling of Romeo & Juliet that will amuse those completely unfamiliar with the source material and amuse more those who know it well.
May 20, 2015
This is a lot of fun :-)
Full review to come closer to the release date.
Full review to come closer to the release date.
January 26, 2018
Ολόκληρη η κριτική στο Smassing Culture
Πάρκο Στρατφορντ- Σαίξπηρ χωρίς εκπτώσεις!
Επειδή υπάρχουν αρκετές διασκευές του σαιξπηρικού έργου σε κόμικ, συχνά ξεχνάμε το ότι αυτό δεν είναι καθόλου εύκολη υπόθεση. Ίσως θα έπρεπε να μας το θυμίζει ότι πολύ λίγες από αυτές πραγματικά ξεχωρίζουν, ακόμα και σε μια εποχή όπου η 9η Τέχνη βρίσκεται σε πολλά περισσότερα μέρη από ποτέ. Όταν δε, η διασκευή του έργου του μεγάλου βάρδου δεν μένει στην αυτολεξεί μεταφορά, αλλά αποπειράται να μιλήσει την γλώσσα των παιδιών, και να μετατρέψει σε παραμύθι τραγωδίες όπως το Μακμπεθ και το Ρωμαίος και Ιουλιέτα, όπως κάνουν τα δύο ομώνυμα τεύχη του «Πάρκο Στρατφορντ- Ο Θίασος του Μεσονυχτίου» (αμφότερα στα ελληνικά από τις εκδόσεις Polaris).
Πράγματι, πως μετατρέπεις έργα τόσο πολύνεκρα και αιματηρά σε πράγματα για τα οποία τα παιδιά όχι μόνο να ενδιαφερθούν αλλά και να ενθουσιαστούν; Και, πως το κάνεις αυτό χρησιμοποιώντας έναν ζωολογικό κήπο ως μέλη ενός (ασυντόνιστου) θιάσου;
O σεναριογράφος Ιαν Λέντλερ και ο σχεδιαστής Ζακ Τζιαλόνγκο το καταφέρνουν αρχικά προσεγγίζοντυας το έργο του Σαιξπηρ με μεγάλο σεβασμό, αλλά και γνώση, τόσο πάνω στο ίδιο το έργο, όσο και στις συνθήκες του θεάτρου. Έτσι μεταφέρουν όχι μόνο τις ιστορίες, αλλά και όλη την εμπειρία του ελισσαβετιανού θεάτρου στις σελίδες και στα καρέ των κόμικ τους, χωρίς να εμμένουν σε λεπτομέριες αλλά στην ουσία των μύθων.
Έτσι, μπορεί το αίμα να γίνεται… κέτσαπ αλλά οι φρικτοί λεκέδες που τιμωρούν την λαίδη Μακμπεθ και που στο τέλος την οδηγούν στο χαμό παραμένουν. Μπορεί η αυτοκτονία να παρουσιάζεται σαν… ασυντόνιστη χειμερία νάρκη, αλλά η δύναμη της θυσίας των νεαρών ερωτευμένων βιώνεται ως πραγματική. Ακόμα και αν είναι εκτελεσμένη από έναν θίασο ζώων. Ή, ίσως ακόμα περισσότερο για αυτό.
Οι ανθρωπόρφοι, ζωώδεις ήρωες, χαρίζουν στα έργα πλαστικότητα, εκφραστικότητα με ένα εύρος που οι άνθρωποι, ακόμα και ως καρικατούρες δεν μπορούν να πετύχουν. Έτσι οι καλλιτέχνες δημιουργούν ευχάριστες και πολύ ουσιαστικές υπερβολές, μέσω των οποίων το σαιξπηρικό έργο ταξιδεύει. Παράλληλα με τον θίασο, ζωώμορφο είναι και το κοινό. Έτσι ο αναγνώστης (μικρός και μεγάλος) έχει την δυνατότητα να διακρίνει και τα δύο μέρη της θεατρικής επικοινωνίας: θίασο και κοινό. Μαζί με την ίδια την παράσταση, τα κόμικ αυτά συνιστούν μια μεταφορά που δεν μένει μόνο στην ιστορία, αλλά τρέφεται και από την αλληλόδραση των ηθοποιών με το κοινό. Έχουμε πολλές φορές αναφέρει πως τα κόμικ, σαν τέχνη, έχουν πολλά περισσότερα κοινά με τον κινηματογράφο παρά με την ζωγραφική, όπως ακριβώς και ο κινηματογράφος έχει περισσότερες ομοιότητες με την λογοτεχνία (ειδικά το μυθιστόρημα) παρά με το θέατρο. Το «Πάρκο Στρατφορντ- Ο Θίασος του Μεσονυχτίου» έρχεται να γεφυρώσει αυτό το χάσμα μεταξύ των 4 αυτών τεχνών, όλα για χάρη των (μεγάλων) παιδιών στα οποία απευθύνεται.
Σχεδιαστικά, ο Τζιαλόνγκο επιμένει με φανταχτερά και φωτεινά χρώματα, ακόμα και στις πιο σκοτεινές πλευρές της ιστορίας. Οι καρικατούρες των συνήθως σοβαρών ηρώων, όπως του ζεύγους Μακμπεθ, του Μακντάφ ή ακόμα και του Μερκούτιου φαντάζουν οικίες και ευχάριστες. Έτσι είναι πολύ εύκολο στο παιδί αναγνώστη να τις συμπαθήσει και να προβληματιστεί για τον ρόλο τους, ενώ στον ενήλικο που γνωρίζει την ιστορία είναι μια φρέσκια υπενθύμιση του σαιξπηρικού έργου.
Αν έχετε παιδιά μη διστάσετε να τα εξοικειώσετε με τις σαιξπηρικές τραγωδίες, ακόμα και τις πιο σκληρές. Είναι σίγουρα ένας πολύ καλός δρόμος να για να ξεκινήσουν την μελέτη της σπουδίας παρακαταθήκης και παράδοσης του Βρετανού συγγραφέα. Από την άλλη, όσοι ξέρετε τις ιστορίες, θα σας ξαφνιάσει το «μοντάζ» των σκηνών που μεταφέρθηκαν και που απαρτίζουν την ιστορία.
Πάρκο Στρατφορντ- Σαίξπηρ χωρίς εκπτώσεις!
Επειδή υπάρχουν αρκετές διασκευές του σαιξπηρικού έργου σε κόμικ, συχνά ξεχνάμε το ότι αυτό δεν είναι καθόλου εύκολη υπόθεση. Ίσως θα έπρεπε να μας το θυμίζει ότι πολύ λίγες από αυτές πραγματικά ξεχωρίζουν, ακόμα και σε μια εποχή όπου η 9η Τέχνη βρίσκεται σε πολλά περισσότερα μέρη από ποτέ. Όταν δε, η διασκευή του έργου του μεγάλου βάρδου δεν μένει στην αυτολεξεί μεταφορά, αλλά αποπειράται να μιλήσει την γλώσσα των παιδιών, και να μετατρέψει σε παραμύθι τραγωδίες όπως το Μακμπεθ και το Ρωμαίος και Ιουλιέτα, όπως κάνουν τα δύο ομώνυμα τεύχη του «Πάρκο Στρατφορντ- Ο Θίασος του Μεσονυχτίου» (αμφότερα στα ελληνικά από τις εκδόσεις Polaris).
Πράγματι, πως μετατρέπεις έργα τόσο πολύνεκρα και αιματηρά σε πράγματα για τα οποία τα παιδιά όχι μόνο να ενδιαφερθούν αλλά και να ενθουσιαστούν; Και, πως το κάνεις αυτό χρησιμοποιώντας έναν ζωολογικό κήπο ως μέλη ενός (ασυντόνιστου) θιάσου;
O σεναριογράφος Ιαν Λέντλερ και ο σχεδιαστής Ζακ Τζιαλόνγκο το καταφέρνουν αρχικά προσεγγίζοντυας το έργο του Σαιξπηρ με μεγάλο σεβασμό, αλλά και γνώση, τόσο πάνω στο ίδιο το έργο, όσο και στις συνθήκες του θεάτρου. Έτσι μεταφέρουν όχι μόνο τις ιστορίες, αλλά και όλη την εμπειρία του ελισσαβετιανού θεάτρου στις σελίδες και στα καρέ των κόμικ τους, χωρίς να εμμένουν σε λεπτομέριες αλλά στην ουσία των μύθων.
Έτσι, μπορεί το αίμα να γίνεται… κέτσαπ αλλά οι φρικτοί λεκέδες που τιμωρούν την λαίδη Μακμπεθ και που στο τέλος την οδηγούν στο χαμό παραμένουν. Μπορεί η αυτοκτονία να παρουσιάζεται σαν… ασυντόνιστη χειμερία νάρκη, αλλά η δύναμη της θυσίας των νεαρών ερωτευμένων βιώνεται ως πραγματική. Ακόμα και αν είναι εκτελεσμένη από έναν θίασο ζώων. Ή, ίσως ακόμα περισσότερο για αυτό.
Οι ανθρωπόρφοι, ζωώδεις ήρωες, χαρίζουν στα έργα πλαστικότητα, εκφραστικότητα με ένα εύρος που οι άνθρωποι, ακόμα και ως καρικατούρες δεν μπορούν να πετύχουν. Έτσι οι καλλιτέχνες δημιουργούν ευχάριστες και πολύ ουσιαστικές υπερβολές, μέσω των οποίων το σαιξπηρικό έργο ταξιδεύει. Παράλληλα με τον θίασο, ζωώμορφο είναι και το κοινό. Έτσι ο αναγνώστης (μικρός και μεγάλος) έχει την δυνατότητα να διακρίνει και τα δύο μέρη της θεατρικής επικοινωνίας: θίασο και κοινό. Μαζί με την ίδια την παράσταση, τα κόμικ αυτά συνιστούν μια μεταφορά που δεν μένει μόνο στην ιστορία, αλλά τρέφεται και από την αλληλόδραση των ηθοποιών με το κοινό. Έχουμε πολλές φορές αναφέρει πως τα κόμικ, σαν τέχνη, έχουν πολλά περισσότερα κοινά με τον κινηματογράφο παρά με την ζωγραφική, όπως ακριβώς και ο κινηματογράφος έχει περισσότερες ομοιότητες με την λογοτεχνία (ειδικά το μυθιστόρημα) παρά με το θέατρο. Το «Πάρκο Στρατφορντ- Ο Θίασος του Μεσονυχτίου» έρχεται να γεφυρώσει αυτό το χάσμα μεταξύ των 4 αυτών τεχνών, όλα για χάρη των (μεγάλων) παιδιών στα οποία απευθύνεται.
Σχεδιαστικά, ο Τζιαλόνγκο επιμένει με φανταχτερά και φωτεινά χρώματα, ακόμα και στις πιο σκοτεινές πλευρές της ιστορίας. Οι καρικατούρες των συνήθως σοβαρών ηρώων, όπως του ζεύγους Μακμπεθ, του Μακντάφ ή ακόμα και του Μερκούτιου φαντάζουν οικίες και ευχάριστες. Έτσι είναι πολύ εύκολο στο παιδί αναγνώστη να τις συμπαθήσει και να προβληματιστεί για τον ρόλο τους, ενώ στον ενήλικο που γνωρίζει την ιστορία είναι μια φρέσκια υπενθύμιση του σαιξπηρικού έργου.
Αν έχετε παιδιά μη διστάσετε να τα εξοικειώσετε με τις σαιξπηρικές τραγωδίες, ακόμα και τις πιο σκληρές. Είναι σίγουρα ένας πολύ καλός δρόμος να για να ξεκινήσουν την μελέτη της σπουδίας παρακαταθήκης και παράδοσης του Βρετανού συγγραφέα. Από την άλλη, όσοι ξέρετε τις ιστορίες, θα σας ξαφνιάσει το «μοντάζ» των σκηνών που μεταφέρθηκαν και που απαρτίζουν την ιστορία.
June 5, 2019
What a great way to think deeply or not.... as you read Shakespeare. Have you got a quirky, fun-loving sense of humour about literature... I loved this fresh, witty approach to a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet when the animals at the Stratford Zoo come out of their cages after hours!
Definitely meaningful if you already know the Shakespeare's play... I wonder how a younger audience might enjoy it if they weren't familiar with the original? I'm looking forward to Ian Lendler's other Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue, #1 - Macbeth!
Can't wait to get my hands on a copy. The graphic novel format is a good fit for this hilarious re-telling of a timeless tale!
Curriculum Connections p. 57 - the drawings depict the famous scene with Juliet out on the balcony ... this would be a humours, fun entry point to talk about text to text connections as well as a variety of other connections a group of students might bring to this humours re-telling of the famous play.
Definitely meaningful if you already know the Shakespeare's play... I wonder how a younger audience might enjoy it if they weren't familiar with the original? I'm looking forward to Ian Lendler's other Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue, #1 - Macbeth!
Can't wait to get my hands on a copy. The graphic novel format is a good fit for this hilarious re-telling of a timeless tale!
Curriculum Connections p. 57 - the drawings depict the famous scene with Juliet out on the balcony ... this would be a humours, fun entry point to talk about text to text connections as well as a variety of other connections a group of students might bring to this humours re-telling of the famous play.
January 11, 2021
Saw this on a list of middle-grade graphic novels and got it from the library for my 9 yo, who has been enjoying stories like A Tale of Two Cities from the Great Illustrated Classics series. Because she caught onto those with no problem, I didn’t think Romeo and Juliet would be difficult. However, she thought this version was “confusing and weird.” I read it to see if it requires having knowledge of the original material and found it over-complicated with the plot and illustrations, including the characters in the audience framing device popping in too often. And there is a running joke about bears peeing on woodchucks for some reason? I felt like they could’ve introduced the side characters more clearly as well.
April 11, 2022
Introduces children to Romeo and Juliet's basic plotline through the use of a graphic novel format and using animals as characters. Definitely doesn't have the depth or the language or the richness of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. But it was cute and entertaining and might be a fun way to introduce children to Shakespeare.
November 28, 2021
A really fun, smart, and cheeky interpretation of Romeo and Juliet, and a perfect way to introduce Shakespeare to younger readers with kid-relatable themes. The artwork was bright and charming. Loved the whole book!
January 6, 2022
This was really cute. I especially liked the audience's reaction to what was going on in the play. But this just wasn't as good as the Macbeth one, which was absolutely hilarious. I'm just not a fan of Romeo and Juliet at all but this was a cute interpretation of it.
July 6, 2017
Why aren't there more of these?! See http://www.eatreadandbemommy.com/2017... for details.
July 15, 2017
Maybe not quite as good as Macbeth.... though that could just be because I loathe the actual Romeo and Juliet and find Macbeth to be a far better play overall.
Either way.
Either way.
August 10, 2017
i quit goodreads for some time, but i think i read this book in 2016!
February 19, 2018
Rated 4 1/2 stars
Ages 12+
-
Naked chicken ;)
Ages 12+
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Naked chicken ;)
June 27, 2018
Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
May 18, 2020
I wondered how the author(s) would adapt R&J for younger audiences in graphic novel formula and they're playmate animals - one from the petting zoo and one from the wild. Super cute.
October 1, 2020
It is super cute. I liked it very much.
January 5, 2021
A delightful way to introduce Shakespeare to young readers.
February 17, 2021
Very cute!
October 29, 2021
Son thought it was great.
November 27, 2021
It was cute, again. I would read more of these.
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