The ‘Phibs and The Modern Screen “Coriolanus”

Does watching Shakespeare feel like a civic duty, a noble sacrifice, a homework assignment –– anything but an entertaining experience? Here’s a trade secret: A lot of theater critics feel that way, too, even if they won’t admit it publicly. And then there’s the (possibly apocryphal) tale of Mrs. Pritchard, the legendary 18th century British actress who made a great splash playing Lady Macbeth. But the script so bored the stage diva that she never read it all the way through and used to brag that she had no idea how the play ended. (Spoiler alert: Pretty much everyone dies.)

Audiences needn’t worry about dozing off with acclaimed theatrical eye candy Tom Hiddleston in the title role of Coriolanus, which gets a digital satellite broadcast via National Theatre Live and its Fort Worth host Amphibian Stage Productions. The screening happens 2 & 7pm Wed March 12 at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (3200 Darnell St). Tix are $15-$18. One of the bard’s lesser performed scripts, Coriolanus deals with a celebrated war hero who discovers that the city once so grateful for his fearless exploits has grown cynical and restless for a new defender and a new political regime.