Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in Cymbeline

Hang there like a fruit, my soul,
Till the tree die!

Posthumus, Cymbeline

source: damianista
Cymbeline, Stage at Delacorte Theater, Central Park, NYC source: damianista

Shakespeare in the Park is a New York tradition combining two great things about the city: It’s Theater in Central Park… And, hey, it’s FREE, too! The tradition has been going strong for 53 years now in which Public Theater produces and stages two plays every summer at beautiful Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The productions are impressive that some of them move to Broadway once Central Park run is over, e.g. The Hair Musical in 2008 and Merchant of Venice in 2010. And, topping it all is it’s FREE! The only thing you have to do is go early in the morning and get in the line for free tickets distributed at noon. You may have to go really early if some big name is in a production though; for example we were in the line at 5am when Al Pacino did Merchant of Venice in 2010 and were among the last batch of people that could get tickets… Some people had arrived a night before with their camping equipment 😀 But, believe me,  waiting in line is half the FUN… You have people sleeping on their blankets, playing board games, reading the evening’s play together as a group… Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in Cymbeline”

Happy World Theater Day: Damian Lewis on Stage

theatercollage2

Happy World Theater Day! Let’s celebrate this beautiful day dedicated to the wonderful art form that is theater with a little walk down the memory lane to live and re-live bits and pieces of Damian Lewis’ brilliant stage career!

Damian discovers theater at a young age at Ashdown House, the boarding school he went at age eight: “Each summer we staged a Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta. It was all so English. I used to sing the solos. I had a sweet treble voice.” His first ever role was a policeman The Pirates of Penzance, a Gilbert and SullivanAnd, by age 12, he had already played in 12 Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas.

Well, we don’t have pictures from these operettas but the school pic below can help us imagine our little guy on stage! Continue reading “Happy World Theater Day: Damian Lewis on Stage”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in Pillars of the Community

It all starts with a good colleague with whom I share love for theater asking me to name my favorite male and female stage performances in 2015. Easy. It’s Lesley Manville in Ibsen’s Ghosts and Damian Lewis in Mamet’s American Buffalo (with Mark Strong in Miller’s A View From the Bridge as a close second). And what is it about these performances that make me LOVE them?  Just one word: Precision.

topperfs

Then I think about the heart-breaking performance Lesley Manville gives in Ghosts which, in fact, has brought her an Olivier Award in 2014 (I saw the play much later when it visited Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2015). I know Manville mostly from her work on big screen such as Secrets and Lies (1996), Vera Drake (2004), Another Year (2010) and Mr Turner (2014) all of which were some of my favorites in the year they were released. But I really do not know about her stage work. So I google her. And this is one of the first images I hit!

source: telegraph.co.uk
source: telegraph.co.uk

Ha! Small world. Have you heard of the saying that Brits have 10 actors? I am about to believe that! 😀 And it’s time we dig into the play! Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in Pillars of the Community”

TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2015: Hand in Hand

If you feel the need you can debate who is making who look better, but I’m going to be diplomatic and say that Helen and Damian are just gorgeous together.

source: zimbio
source: zimbio

Quite honestly I have no idea how they manage to fit in everything that they do, but it is certainly true that life is not fun if you have no one to share it with. I’m sure Charlie Crews would in all likelihood give us a sad smile in agreement.

Chloe Fox of vogue described Helen and Damian in an interview from 2013 like this

“Separately, they are engaging. Together, they are a little bit intoxicating.”

So, with that wonderful quote in mind, the last blog of 2015 is looking back at our favourite couple hand in hand at various points throughout the year.

65th Berlinale International Film Festival

The couple attend the Berlinale for the premiere of Queen of the Desert in which Damian plays Charles Doughty-Wylie. Damianista actually posted about the Berlinale as an individual top moment for Damian as well.

source: zimbio.com
source: zimbio.com

Continue reading “TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2015: Hand in Hand”

TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2015: American Buffalo

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We have no intention whatsoever of ranking TOP Damian Lewis moments of the year; however, one incomparably exciting moment in 2015 — well, all 10 weeks of it — was to have our favorite actor back on stage in an incredibly dynamic performance in American Buffalo. In fact, Evening Standard agrees and includes Damian in its list of the most influential people in London Theatre in 2015. Besides, this is a moment where Damian shines as a brilliant actor, as a kind individual as well as a guy who knows how to have a good time!
Continue reading “TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2015: American Buffalo”