Educational Media Reviews Online

Stage on Screen’s presentation of Volpone places Ben Jonson’s 1606 satire in Venice of the 1930s. Greed, deception, and lust are all delivered with passion and, more often than not, humor. The miserly Volpone and his servant Mosca stand in the center of a web of deceit that radiates outward to the majority of the characters. In an effort to secure their place as his sole heir, character after character lavishes attention and gifts upon Volpone, who they believe is a dying, feeble old man. As Volpone’s riches grow, his prospective ‘heirs’ lose more and more of themselves, in some cases to the detriment of others. While many scenes are crafted to produce amusing scenarios, others convey serious social, political, and moral commentary.

The Education & Library Pack reviewed contains a DVD of the play with multiple camera views and optional subtitles, a DVD of interviews with the director, production crew members, and the cast, and a single view Mastershot DVD of the play. Each disc provides unique and valuable perspectives, and the interviews in particular expand the viewer’s understanding of the play and this production.

This reviewer did not enjoy Volpone as a performance to watch, but only because I did not like the content and style of the play. Regardless of my individual taste, while the multi-DVD release is successfully focused toward educators and students of the theater (both performance and design) and English literature, it is also likely to be well-received by general viewers.

Highly recommended for both educational support and personal viewing.