Oregon Shakespeare Festival Brings Akira Kurosawa To The Stage With Throne Of Blood Adaptation

Very few filmmakers have drawn their inspiration from famous literature, more than the legendary Japanese auteur, Akira Kurosawa.

With films like Ran and The Lower Depths, Kurosawa was not one to hide behind his appreciation for literature, but instead appropriated works from the likes of Gorky and Dostoevsky into something wholly original.

And then there is his work with Shakespeare, in the form of the aforementioned Ran, and Throne of Blood, which itself is seeing a return to its stage roots.

According to The Oregonian, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival will be putting on a performance of Throne Of Blood during the run of the festival. Blood is Kurosawa’s take on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, that instead of being based in Scotland, is transferred to feudal Japan, and this will be a world premiere of a brand new stage adaptation.

Personally, Throne Of Blood is one of my favorite Kurosawa films, and while Kurosawa’s visual style is definitely part of that, this more than intriguing. I would love to see this film be performed on stage, so if you get a chance, please check it out and let us know just how it is. The Shakespeare roots have me thinking that this could be one hell of a fantastic stage piece, so hopefully it lives up to the hype.

Throne Of Blood will be performed from July 21st through October 31st at the Agnus Bowmer Theater in Ashland, Oregon.

Source: The Oregonian

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