Sarah Polley slings some Shakespeare
I’m a new fan of Slings and Arrows, a Canadian series that comes to the U.S. via the Sundance Channel (Sundays at 8 p.m., repeated throughout the week). It’s sort of hard to describe, because a show about the misadventures of a Shakespeare troupe doesn’t seem very exciting. But it’s a nearly perfect show — flawless performances, incredible writing and, well, there’s the Shakespeare.
Much to my (pleasant) surprise, there’s a bonus in season 3: Sarah Polley. Where has she been? Yeah, she’s been busy directing and choosing her projects wisely. As a young actress playing Cordelia in King Lear, Polley’s character struggles with a demanding role and a ditzy roommate. Again, it might not sound very exciting, but there was a stink bomb in the last episode. This is not your grandpa’s (nor your great-great-great-great-etc.-grandpa’s) Shakespeare.
As Maureen Ryan says in The Chicago Tribune, “Not many shows can make you both laugh and cry, and Slings is one of the few.” And in iambic pentameter, no less.