At this point in his career, anything that Kevin Spacey touches turns to gold. Following the incredible success of House of Cards, the actor returns to the big screen in a wholly different way with the documentary Now: In the Wings on a World Stage, serving as both producer and talent. Now follows Spacey and a cast of stage actors from The Bridge Project as they travel the world performing Shakespeare’s Richard III with Sam Mendes directing, who’s previously worked with Spacey on the classic film American Beauty. Starting with a performance at London’s Old Vic Theater and ending in Doha, Qatar, Now is a unique concept for a film; part “behind the scenes” and part travel diary, it inspires the inner wanderlust and suppressed theater kid in all of us.
As the house lights dim and the curtains open on various stages across the world, it’s clear that this performance of Richard III will be taken to a whole new level.
Together as creative collaborators, Spacey and Mendes are able to explore the nuances and emphasize the difference between live theater vs film where, unlike a film, a play is unique to each performance, giving the experience the ability to live and die onstage, with memories as the only form of remembrance.
Theater is a house of cards, no pun intended, and as Sam Mendes puts it, it’s one inch away from absurdity.
Spacey makes Shakespeare enjoyable, adding his quirks and trademark smoldering eyes to the tyrannical part he plays. His mastery of accents easily transforms him into Richard III, and while it’s enjoyable to watch him act on stage, what is even more fun is to see his method of getting into character, a process we typically don’t have access to.
The purpose of the documentary is to portray the fact that theater is more than just empty performances; the reason the players at The Bridge Project perform is to create a unique experience between the actors and audience. Spacey and his cast succeed in bringing enjoyable Shakespeare performances to people all over the world by engaging with audiences who may have once found it dull. Theater is a house of cards, no pun intended, and as Sam Mendes puts it, it’s one inch away from absurdity.
Even though we missed the live shows, Now: In the Wings on a World Stage is as close to watching the original plays as viewers can hope to get. What Spacey and crew share with the audience is more than just the stage, they share emotions and experiences which authentically translate from stage to screen. Now is not the type of film that would probably be viewed more than once, however, the takeaway is strong; theater is alive and well and continues to impact audiences everyday with its message.
