Scott Suchman

In ‘Coriolanus,’ in foreground, Patrick Page and Diane D’Aquila

Washington

Coriolanus

Shakespeare Theatre Company, Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. N.W., Washington ($43-$105), 202-547-1122, closes June 2

Why has “Coriolanus” never been popular? It’s been mounted on Broadway only once—in 1938. The last time that I reviewed a production in this space was eight years ago. Yet connoisseurs need no reminding of the immense stature of Shakespeare’s most explicitly political play. T.S. Eliot ranked “Coriolanus” above “Hamlet,” calling it “Shakespeare’s most assured artistic success.” A man I know who used to work for one of America’s best-known politicians claims that it’s one of only two pieces of literary art that tells the whole truth about politics (the other, he says, is “All the King’s Men”). And if you should be lucky enough to see Shakespeare Theatre Company’s new production, directed by David Muse and featuring a towering performance by Patrick Page, you’ll come away wondering why it doesn’t get done regularly by every drama company in America.

The scene is ancient Rome and the situation is dire: The Volscians, a neighboring tribe, seek to conquer the city. Enter Coriolanus (Mr. Page), a paragon of the military virtues who more or less single-handedly defeats the enemy. Physically fearless and noble without limit, he has only one flaw: He knows that he is a great man, and refuses to pretend otherwise. Indifferent to the praise of “the common people,” he will not “flatter them for their love,” and his adamant refusal to do so makes him vulnerable to the scheming of a pair of jealous pols (Philip Goodwin and Derrick Lee Weeden) who seek to bring Coriolanus to his knees by turning the fickle mob against him. But no sooner do they succeed in doing so than he turns the tables on them. “Despising, / For you, the city, thus I turn my back: / There is a world elsewhere,” he contemptuously informs his fellow Romans—then crosses the field of battle to join forces with the Volscians, who hours before were his sworn enemies.

Mr. Muse has opted for a modified modern-dress staging (“suits and swords,” in his neat phrase) that eschews cheap political point-making. He’s gunning for bigger game. He understands that “Coriolanus” is not about any particular politician, or any particular war: Its real subject is pride. Is there room in a democracy for an aristocrat like Coriolanus who refuses to play the popularity game? Or is it his duty to don the hypocrite’s mask in order to serve the greater good? Shakespeare leaves it to us to decide, and so does Mr. Muse.

All of which brings us to Mr. Page, who is known on Broadway as a specialist in villainy. In recent seasons he’s done the dirty in “Cyrano de Bergerac,” “A Man for All Seasons” and “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” in which he played, of all things, the Green Goblin. But he’s no second banana: Mr. Page is one of this country’s leading classical actors, and in “Coriolanus” he shows you everything he’s got, starting with a resplendent bass voice so well placed that he can fill the theater with a whisper, then make your seat shake. He is, in the very best sense of the word, an old-fashioned actor who has no fear of the grand gesture. You’ll be paralyzed by the hideous, red-faced howl of horror that he wrenches from his depths when his terrified mother (Diane d’Aquila) begs him not to renounce his family and his country.

The presence of an actor like Mr. Page can wash away everyone in the immediate vicinity. That doesn’t happen here, for Mr. Muse has gone to enormous and gratifying trouble to surround him with actors who can punch his weight. The cast list is a roll of honor, with the names of Ms. d’Aquila, Steve Pickering (who plays Cominius, commander of the Roman army) and Messrs. Goodwin and Weeden inscribed at the very top. Even the smaller roles are for the most part impressively filled: Lise Bruneau, for instance, catches the eye and ear as Valeria, a friend of Coriolanus’s family. And Mr. Muse takes similar care to stage the scenes involving the chorus of plebeians in such a way as to give each one a welcome touch of individuality.

A star who casts so long a shadow needs a suitable set across which to cast it. Accordingly, Blythe R.D. Quinlan has come up with a trapezoidal playing space surrounded by sliding concretelike walls that suggest an arena, then a death chamber. It is at once modern and monumental, yet flexible enough never to slow down the action. Mark Bennett’s incidental music—now thunderous, now shimmering—is performed by a team of percussionists who share the stage with the cast. Their physical presence makes all the difference: Not since Actors’ Shakespeare Project in Boston commissioned Bill Barclay to score “King Lear” in 2005 have I seen a Shakespeare production in which live music-making was so well integrated with the unfolding action.

This “Coriolanus” belongs on Broadway. Were it to transfer there, Mr. Page would vault instantaneously into full-fledged, well-deserved stardom. Since such a move is highly unlikely, I hope that another regional company—or Lincoln Center—will give serious thought to remounting it. Rarely has Shakespeare been more stirringly served.

RECENTLY REVIEWED

Joan Marcus

Vanessa Williams, Cicely Tyson and Cuba Gooding Jr.

‘The Trip to Bountiful’

Stephen Sondheim Theatre, New York

Cicely Tyson is, of course, the star of the show, but she never indulges in the kind of notice-me exaggeration to which “stars” too often stoop. Indeed, what is most striking about her performance is its total lack of sentimentality. She speaks her lines in a cracked, vinegary old-lady voice in which no trace of self-pity can be heard, trusting to Horton Foote to do the rest…

Part of what makes this production so fine is the unanimity with which Ms. Tyson’s colleagues support her magnificent performance. Cuba Gooding Jr., who plays her frustrated son, is exquisitely right, holding back his emotions until the climactic speech in which he opens his heart at last. Vanessa Williams, cast as her shrewish daughter-in-law, is boldly unafraid to be unlikable. Condola Rashad, one of Broadway’s finest young actresses, is simple and lovely as Thelma, the shy young bride whom Carrie meets and befriends on the bus to Bountiful. Arthur French and Tom Wopat are magically exact in the lesser but crucial roles of a ticket agent and a small-town sheriff. Michael Wilson’s pivotal contribution to the proceedings is, as it should be, invisible: All you see are the gracefully poised results.

Joan Marcus

The cast of ‘Pippin.’

‘Pippin’

Music Box Theatre, New York

In 1972 Pippin’s tale was told by a ragtag band of commedia dell’arte players, whereas Diane Paulus’s version is set in a circus tent and performed by a mixture of Broadway gypsies and circus acrobats. At the same time, she’s preserved some of the feel of Bob Fosse’s universally admired production by having the show choreographed by Chet Walker “in the style of Bob Fosse” (that’s how his credit reads).

Does it come off? Up to a point. The circus performers are sensational, but their antics overwhelm Mr. Walker’s dances, which are in any case devoid of Mr. Fosse’s sly wit…

On occasion there’s fun to be had from this “Pippin,” above all from Andrea Martin, who turns “No Time at All” into a hot-grandma trapeze act that is both very funny and very, very sexy. But I went home feeling as though I’d been yelled at for 2½ hours.

—Mr. Teachout, the Journal’s drama critic, blogs about theater and the other arts at www.terryteachout.com. Write to him at tteachout@wsj.com.

A version of this article appeared May 16, 2013, on page D9 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Nothing Plebeian About Him.

New York landlords Aby Rosen and Michael Fuchs have taken full ownership of the classic Seagram Building in Manhattan after paying off various other stakeholders.

The partners, whose firm is RFR Holdings, borrowed about $1 billion to refinance their debt on the building, according to filings for a securitization of the loan. As part of that refinancing, RFR took out about $224 million in cash, filings show.

In 2000, RFR and its partners acquired the black glass skyscraper designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, winning it at auction for $375 million. RFR reached an agreement two years ago to buy out publisher Peter Brant, who had a roughly 39% stake in the building. RFR tried to raise money by selling about 49% of the tower, but with an asking price too high to find any takers.

RFR then borrowed $160 million from Blackstone Group LP

and others—which got a preferred equity stake—at an interest rate of 12% to purchase the Brant stake. RFR later acquired the last 14% of the building, held by another partner, Harry Lis, who this year settled his lawsuits against RFR in a dispute related to the building.

The terms on the new loan are considerably friendlier, reflecting the low-interest-rate environment. Most of the loan carries a 3.5% interest rate.

The Seagram Building, named after the Canadian distiller, was built in the 1950s and is close to fully occupied. Its largest tenant is Wells Fargo

& Co.

RFR began investing in U.S. real estate in the early 1990s. The company has purchased a number of trophy Manhattan skyscrapers, including the Lever House. The company also invested heavily in the Stamford, Conn., office-building market.

—Craig Karmin

Selling in Seattle

Beacon Capital Partners LLC dove into the Seattle area in 2007 by buying up some of the city’s largest towers.

Now, it is gradually getting out.

The Boston-based landlord has reached a deal to sell the 47-story Wells Fargo Center to a joint venture of Canadian pension-backed Ivanhoé Cambridge and Callahan Capital Partners, according to a real-estate executive with knowledge of the deal. The sales price for the 980,000-square-foot downtown office tower couldn’t be determined.

The sale, which hasn’t been finalized, reflects a strategy by Beacon to sell off individual properties from its monster $6.2 billion portfolio purchase from Blackstone Group LP just before the downturn. That deal included properties in Washington, D.C., as well as Seattle. Rents and occupancies fell with the downturn, and Beacon restructured its debt on its 20-building portfolio in 2010.

Last year, Beacon and its partners sold a 55-story downtown Seattle tower, 1201 Third Ave., for $549 million, and a Bellevue, Wash., office building for $187 million.

Of course, there is still plenty more selling to do for Beacon. The company owns the most prominent building in Seattle, Columbia Center, a jet-black 1.5-million-square-foot skyscraper that reaches 932 feet.

The Seattle office market has been strong lately, largely due to growth by Amazon.com Inc.

However, much of that growth hasn’t been in the central downtown near Beacon’s buildings, but rather in the neighborhoods to the north, where the online retailer has its headquarters.

—Eliot Brown

A version of this article appeared May 15, 2013, on page C6 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Plots & Ploys.

Dean Soto of Buena Park, Calif., was working in the aerospace field as an IT security specialist when his wife became pregnant with their second child and decided to stop working. The family experienced a significant loss of income. Mr. Soto, 29, decided to look for a better-paying job.

“At first I thought I could get another job in my field,” he says. “But after interviewing, it was clear that there wasn’t enough market demand, and my skill set was too specialized to justify the salary that I was seeking.”

While still employed, Mr. Soto launched his own IT consulting company, called Pro Sulum, so that he would have more control over his income. But after several months, his income from the business was only $350. Realizing that he wouldn’t be able to complete his transition if he didn’t make more money soon, Mr. Soto started investing in courses on launching a small business.

One such course was Earn$1K (earn1k.com), an online class featuring a step-by-step process for turning skills into side income, determining pricing, marketing your services, and integrating a new business into your life. Earn$1K aims to provide “an understanding of the skills that can earn you money, and the skills that will never make you a dime,” says Ramit Sethi, the creator of Earn $1K and the author of the blog and book “I Will Teach You to Be Rich.”

Many people are convinced they can’t afford to make a career change, but there are several strategies to make it a financial reality. Testing a new job on the side and following Mr. Sethi’s advice to become more profitable are two.

Creating a cushion of savings is another. “When you change careers, you may be out of work for a while, your income may drop, or you may encounter unexpected expenses,” says J.D. Roth, author of “Your Money: The Missing Manual.” “An emergency fund that covers six months to a year of expenses will smooth the transition.”

Obviously, creating such a reserve will require reducing your household expenses. If you’ve never created an inventory of what you’re currently spending, now’s the time. Build a spreadsheet on your computer to keep track of where your money is going on a daily basis. You’ll see patterns of unnecessary spending (your morning Starbucks run, sushi takeout, etc.) and areas where you can tighten your belt. “These changes don’t have to be permanent,” says Mr. Roth. “They just have to last as you prepare to switch careers.”

Also, keep an eye on your debt. Don’t finance anything, save just one credit card for emergencies and cut up the rest, and halt any recurring payments such as a gym membership or an online gaming account. Call each financial institution where you have debt and try to negotiate a lower interest rate.

Finally, consider enlisting the services of a financial planner who can help you manage your money and plan for your career change. You can search for advisers by specialty or geography at the Financial Planning Association’s Web site (fpanet.org), and then verify their credentials with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (cfp.net).

Write to Alexandra Levit at reinvent@wsj.com

By JOE LIGHT

The unemployment rate for new college graduates has climbed since before the recession, prompting some recent grads to delay looking for a job.

The worst recession in decades—and its subsequent, halting recovery—has particularly punished individuals short on work experience or skills. Since May 2007, the percentage of the population under age 25 who are currently employed has dropped more than seven percentage points to 45.1%, according to the Labor Dept.

The shift is part of a larger transformation in the American work force, where the country’s aging population is leading to a growing number of older workers in jobs or looking for work. With the pace of job openings not keeping up with population growth, that means fewer open positions for younger workers. Indeed, the percentage of the population age 55 and older who are employed has increased more than five percentage points in the last decade, to 37.5%.

To be sure, part of the shift is due to more young workers deciding to stay longer in school, moving on to graduate studies rather than entering the work force.

The jobs picture for recent college graduates, while lackluster over the long term, has shown glimmers of hope recently. Employers plan to hire 19% more new graduates this year than in 2010, according to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Employers say there’s especiallyhigh demand for graduates with expertise in technology and engineering fields.

But even among college graduates under 25, a growing number are—at least temporarily—opting out of the work force entirely. Among that group, the labor force participation rate, which measures the proportion working or seeking employment fell by three percentage points over the past four years.

That drop in the percentage of young graduates in the labor force actually began near the start of the 2001 recession. Career counselors at colleges say that in the past two years they have seen increasing numbers of graduates opting to travel, volunteer, or get unpaid work experience rather than head straight into a tenuous job market. It isn’t clear, some counselors say, just how long many such students expect this interval between school and a job search to last.

In May, about 6.9% of college graduates aged 16 to 24 were unemployed, according to the Labor Dept., compared with 4% in May 2007.

“There’s a lot of moving in with parents, waiting it out, and thinking about grad school,” says Harvard economist Lawrence Katz. “It’s become more extreme given how this recession has been.”

Anabelle Harari, who majored in international relations at Mount Holyoke and graduated in May, says she applied for five or six jobs between January and March, but hasn’t submitted any applications since. For now, she is living with her mother in Margate, N.J., and making travel plans to see Nepal or Israel.

“I think it’s hard for my mom to accept that I’m not even trying to find a job,” says Ms. Harari, who notes that her mother is otherwise supportive. She intends to travel, take up seasonal jobs, and possibly volunteer for the next two years before looking for a full-time job or applying to grad school.

One of her Mount Holyoke classmates, Adrian Avedisian, 22, is living with her mother in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

“Everyone is talking about how difficult it’s going to be to get a job. If that’s how the competition is, I feel like there’s no use wasting my time,” she says. Eventually, Ms. Avedisian, who majored in Arabic Language and Culture, wants to find a job working for a start-up in the Middle East and hopes to finalize her plans in July. She has informally reached out to some contacts at start-ups, but hasn’t applied to a job since the beginning of May.

Being disconnected from the job market can have long-term implications on young workers’ earnings and psychological well-being, says David Blanchflower, an economist at Dartmouth College.

Last year Mr. Blanchflower conducted a study that found 16- to 25-year-olds who don’t have jobs or aren’t in school are more likely to be anxious, depressed and suicidal than their counterparts who are students or working.

“In recessions,” Mr. Blanchflower said, “everyone moves down the occupational ladder, and young people get pushed out at the bottom.”

By WILL LYONS

WITH MORE THAN 40 distilleries dotted around its valleys, Scotland’s Speyside region is a whisky lover’s paradise—home to some of the most famous names in Scotch whisky, such as The Glenlivet, Maccallan, Glenfiddich, Glenrothes and Glenfarclas. Aficionados have long made pilgrimages to this corner of northeast Scotland for a taste of these sweet, light, amber whiskies.

But there is more to the region than just copper stills and the water of life. With a swathe of golf courses, wild, sandy beaches, spectacular scenery, world-class fly-fishing and historic monuments, it’s an ideal escape from the demands of city life.

Running through the region is the River Spey, famous for salmon fishing. And by following its banks—by car and on foot—visitors can reel in the wild beauty of an area squared by the coastal seaboard of the Moray Firth to the north and the Cairngorm Mountains to the south. Here’s our guide to savoring a long weekend in the Highlands, with a dram in hand.

FRIDAY

7 p.m. Land at Inverness Airport. Renting a car is by far the best way to navigate the back roads of whisky’s Golden Triangle. Despite being flanked by mountains on one side and the coast on the other, the area is fertile and surprisingly flat—think fields of barley rather than shadowy glens. If you are traveling in spring or summer, don’t worry about getting there in the evening—the sun doesn’t set until after 10 p.m.

The Mash Tun

The Mash Tun and its Whisky Bar, where you can try a whisky from your birth year.

7:30 p.m. Drive 18 kilometers east along the A96 to the coastal village of Nairn. This Victorian spa town was a favorite vacation spot of Charlie Chaplin and is a good place to drink in Scotland’s clean air, wilderness and unpolluted northern light. You won’t have time to enjoy a round of golf at the town’s Nairn Golf Club (
nairngolfclub.co.uk
) but be sure to fit in a stroll along the sandy dunes of its East Beach before heading south to Grantown-on-Spey, then up the A95 to Aberlour.

9 p.m. There are a few grand Victorian hotels in Speyside, but for the whisky-lover there is no better place to stay than in one of the five well-appointed rooms above theMash Tun whisky bar in Aberlour (double room £113 per night, 8 Broomfield Square, mashtun-aberlour.com). With views over the Spey, this former station bar is a cozy place to hole up for the weekend. Call ahead and arrange for a light supper of soup and a baguette to be served in the bar when you arrive

10:30 p.m. Enjoy a night cap in the Whisky Bar. Try a whisky from your birth year; the bar has more than 46 single-cask whiskies from Glenfarclas—one for every year between 1952 and 1997.

SATURDAY

9:30 a.m. After a hearty Scottish breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, head south on the A95 for the picturesque 20-minute journey to the Glenlivet Distillery (
theglenlivet.com
). Founded by George Smith in 1824 at Upper Drummin Farm, it now produces one of the best-selling malt whiskies in the U.S. Park behind the distillery and put on your walking boots.

10 a.m. Take a stroll along the George Smith Smugglers Trail and let the beauty of Speyside open up before you. The trail is a gentle, signposted 6-kilometer route that runs from the back of the distillery and follows the River Livet past the former home of Smith to the remains of Drumin Castle, where you can take in the view from this ancient spot.

1 p.m. Grab a quick lunch in the distillery’s coffee shop and have a browse around the shop before you join the tour of your choice.

1:30 p.m. The distillery offers a free tour that lasts around 45 minutes—no need to book—and includes a visit to the warehouse and the mash tuns, where the whisky is produced and distilled, and a free dram at the end. Drivers can opt for a miniature instead. Aficionados may wish to take the Glenlivet Spirit of the Malt Tour (£30 per person), an in-depth, three-hour experience that includes a tutored tasting of more than seven different variations of The Glenlivet, as well as a dram poured straight from the cask in the warehouse. If you go for this option, be sure to choose a designated driver in advance.

3 p.m. Head back up the Spey to Craigellachie, the village where the Spey and Fiddich rivers meet. Stop off at Craigellachie Bridge for a breathtaking view of the Spey. Just a short drive up the hill is the Macallan distillery
(themacallan.com
). Rich, sherried and honeyed, The Macallan is one of the world’s most popular whiskies. The distillery runs a series of small tours, the last of which is at 3 p.m. These range from £10 to £20 and booking is advised. Naturally, they end with a warming dram or two.

If two distilleries in one day feels like too much, head down the hill to Victoria Street to the Craigellachie Hotel for afternoon tea (£8.95, thecraigellachiehotel.com), served in their drawing room overlooking the Spey. Afterward, if you still have time to spare, take the five-minute drive to the Speyside Cooperage on the A941 to learn about the wooden casks that are used to store whisky.

5 p.m. Drive back to Aberlour and leave the car at the Mash Tun. Then enjoy the early-evening light by taking a 45-minute stroll up the banks of the Spey, returning to Craigellachie. By this time you will have earned your supper.

6:30 p.m. Start your evening with a visit to the Craigellachie Hotel’s famous Whisky Quaich bar, home to more than 750 whiskies. Ask the barman to pour you something rare.

7:30 p.m. Cross the road to the Highlander Inn (
whiskyinn.com
). Popular with whisky writers and local distillers, its bar will be busy on a Saturday night. Soak up the local atmosphere and enjoy an unpretentious supper of Scotland’s most famous dish: haggis, neeps and tatties, a savory pudding of sheep’s heart, liver and lungs, with potatoes and turnips, served with a drizzle of creamy sauce.

10:30 p.m. Take a five-minute taxi ride back to the Mash Tun, stopping off in the bar for a quick nightcap before the fresh air and whisky send you into a deep sleep.

SUNDAY

10 a.m. Allow yourself a gentle start after yesterday’s excesses. After savoring a cooked breakfast at the Mash Tun, enjoy a stroll around the village. Aberlour is home to Walker’s shortbread, and their shop on the high street is a great place to stock up on Speyside’s other famous export.

Scottish Viewpoint

A cooper at the Speyside Cooperage

11 a.m. Hop in the car and drive north along the A941 to the medieval city of Elgin, with its magnificent ruined cathedral. Make sure to bring your wallet as our destination is cashmere specialists Johnstons of Elgin. Here you can while away a few hours trying on cashmere knitwear from v-necks to luxury hot-water-bottle covers before enjoying a light lunch in their cafe. After lunch, head into town and visit Gordon & Macphail’s famous whisky shop (58 South St.; gordonandmacphail.com
). As well as more than 1,000 whiskies, and 800 wines, it stocks local cheeses and hams, and always has a selection of malt whiskies on hand to taste.

2 p.m. Head west out of Elgin to the Benromach Distillery. Mothballed in the early 1980s, the distillery was bought by Gordon & Macphail in 1994. After a refurbishment, the result is a small, boutique distillery that makes for an interesting contrast to the scale of Glenlivet. In the summer months, the distillery offers tours and daily tastings of its smooth, medium-bodied floral whisky.

4 p.m. Continuing west past Nairn, on the banks of the Moray Firth stands Fort George, an impressive example of 18th-century military engineering. This enormous garrison, still a working army barracks but open to visitors, was built by King George II to control uprisings in the Highlands in the aftermath of the 1746 Battle of Culloden. Take a stroll around its boundary walls and breathe in a bit of history.

7 p.m. Return to Aberlour and the Mash Tun for a hearty dinner of local fare, including roast salmon or Aberdeen Angus sirloin steak.

MONDAY

10 a.m. After breakfasting and checking out of the Mash Tun, it’s a short drive to one of the most interesting distillery tours of the weekend. Aberlour Distillery sits in a spectacular glen where the rivers Lour and Spey meet. This small, picturesque distillery offers a series of tours, including the Founder’s Tour (£30 per person; book in advance). This includes a tutored tasting of five Aberlour whiskies paired with locally produced chocolate and the opportunity to hand-fill your very own bottle of cask-strength whisky (£65).

1 p.m. If you fancy ending the weekend with some fine dining, take a 15-minute drive over to Dufftown to La Faisanderie (2 Balvenie St.; lafaisanderie.co.uk
), where chef Eric Obry is earning himself a reputation for fine French cooking with local ingredients.

4 p.m. Take a stroll around the wide streets of Dufftown before popping into the Malt Barn Bar at the Glenfiddich distillery for one final dram. Then it’s back to the airport—allow an hour and 15 minutes for the drive—and home, hopefully with some liquid souvenirs in hand.

—Email Will at william.lyons@wsj.com or follow him on Twitter: @Will_Lyons