05/10/2016
Hey! If you love Shakespeare this app is for you! If you would like to make Shakespeare more enjoyable, this app is for you! This is a review that I posted at the Apple Store:
This magnificent app is a really handy tool for the study and comprehension of Shakespeare’s plays. You can see shakespeare’s text and watch actors performing simultaneously. The actors don’t move, but you do get to see their unobscured faces. It’s more like a tremendous table reading (after the actors have prepared themselves with A LOT of text analysis) than an actual performance, which is perfect, because this app is about developing the means of interpretation in it’s audience rather than delivering an interpretation to them. There is nothing cinematic other than the occasional suggestive animation or sound effect. Minimal gestures (one of them particularly stands out in my mind as illuminative); no costumes; no lighting; no set–Just actors faces speaking with a deep understanding of the lines. One big plus is the words whose meanings have changed over time are spoken by actors in a way that avoids the confusion that would ensue if you read the words by yourself and immediately interpreted them in their modern sense. The actors have done the work for you and it is easier to immediately comprehend what is going on in the play. Still, the app is not so much about theatricality; It’s about Shakespeare’s words and the meaning of those words. AND, it is an undisputed bargain, well worth the price of an expensive cup of coffee! 6 bucks and it’s on your ipad! It is absolutely delightful to watch the actors faces and follow along with the words! And let’s face it, Ian and Derrick have voices like a $500 bottle of wine; they keep you good company! It is a bit unfair to single out those two well known stars, because the entire cast is so solid. In fact, you might understand them without using the rolling script at all, but every now and then you’ll get curious about something and stop, using the easily accessible notes and underlined bits in the script to go into more detail. I must reiterate– you are co-creating with them! It’s not really like watching a performance as much as it’s like crawling into the play. I have yet to explore the whole app. There is A LOT of information in that thing: Lots of extra criticism, scholarship, and recapitulations! You could spend weeks ruminating over everything that is included. It is manifestly useful for students, teachers, actors, directors, and people who whose enjoyment of Shakespeare is blighted by the struggle of attempted comprehension. The only drawback I see are customers who don’t have access to a good internet connection. You need to be able to down load the actors for each scene and act of the play. The script is always available, but you will definitely want to download the actors. Also, I was temporarily confused if the scenes were actually downloading, because the buttons to download the scenes were a little confusing to me at first. Those are the only 2 things that I can think of that are a little critical of this app. I love it and look forward to more! This app is the best!
itunes.apple.com Heuristic Shakespeare - The Tempest on the App Store Read reviews, compare customer ratings, see screenshots, and learn more about Heuristic Shakespeare - The Tempest. Download Heuristic Shakespeare - The Tempest and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Hey! If you love Sh...