“Samurai 7.0 has a breathtakingly epic sweep... humorous, serious, silly, and mysterious... Compelling performances, amazing images... an intriguing balance of opulence and simplicity.” - Boston Herald

samurai 7.0
SAMURAI 7.0
Nomination, Elliot Norton Awards
Best Show, Small Resident Company

“The result, more poem than play, ironically manages to convey the mood and tone of Kurosawa’s sweeping masterpiece with an eerie, lyrical force that a narrower interpretation couldn’t hope to achieve. Credit Judy Gailen for using cheap bamboo screens and other props from Pier 1 with simple but sophisticated visual style. Red fans bloom like blood from the chests of falling warriors; plain poles become mountains, roads, and roofs; bundles of grass, clutched and softly rustled by the actors, grow slowly and magically into a whole field of grain.

“But of course none of the atmospheric cleverness would register without skilled actors to make it work. Here’s where Beau Jest’s real power comes through: Robinson and his cast (including longtime Jest-ers Larry Coen, Robert Deveau, Elyse Garfinkel, and Lisa Tucker) developed the show by playing with puppets, humming, dancing, and generally improvising ways of bringing it to life. As a result, their work feels fresh and free and alive, even though it has clearly been built with craft and care.”

- Boston Globe