SHAKESPEARE'S TRAGEDIES

Professor Kinney covers Shakespeare's four major tragedies--HAMLET, MACBETH, KING LEAR, AND OTHELLO, as well as CORIOLANUS and ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. She does not give grand interpretations that might obscure the plays, but offers close readings and commentary. The approach is astute, if not groundbreaking. Kinney's speech is energetic and articulate, her accent a bit difficult to pin down but essentially British. She can fall into a staccato choppiness, accentuating an occasional tendency to stridency and overemphasis, but the strengths of her delivery outweigh the occasional flaws. Her readings of passages--she often lets the plays speak for themselves--pass over into acting. Overall, this production is a helpful and sometimes impassioned introduction to these great plays. W.M. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 07]