There are countless adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, from Moonlighting's Taming of the Shrew, to Al Pacino's Shylock (who sounded more Brooklyn than Venice) to last year's goofy Hamlet 2. But none quite have the unique flair of Dov Weinstein's Tiny Ninja Theater, which uses miniature figurines to interpret the Bard. In this case, I was fortunate enough to catch Romeo and Juliet at the 92nd St. Y, though they have also performed Hamlet and Macbeth, just to name a few.
Binoculars are provided, which brings the action way up close, and Precious Moments-esque Juliet gives Norma Shearer a run for her money. (Most, but not all the figurines are ninjas.) But it's also worthwhile to put down the glasses and watch Dov in action—he is the real "performer," who builds each set and voices the characters, memorizing his own abridged version of the text.
How did Dov get the idea? "I had noticed there were all these plastic ninjas in vending machines across [New York City], but no one was using them to perform classical theater." Of course! It could be Dov's own theatrical training helped him view the dime-store figures with a dramatic eye, but nevertheless, audiences around the world have been slain by the tiny ninjas. A veteran of Edibnurgh's esteemed Fringe Festival, Tiny Ninja Theater has also gone on the road to Australia and SE Asia. But luckily, it will be playing in a shoebox near you—you can check listings here.
Heather Quinlan
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