CHANGING MEASURE FOR MEASURE—A MURDER AT THE END OF THE COMEDY.

CHANGING MEASURE FOR MEASURE—A MURDER AT THE END OF THE COMEDY. One of the pleasures of the Utah Shakespeare Festival was that we were surrounded by people who love Shakespeare. Thus we were told a couple times about a recent Chicago production of Measure for Measure which made a radical change in the ending. Apparently the production is well known in the world of Shakespeare. In the production, at the end of the play, when several marriages have been arranged to construct a traditional comedy ending, a released convict rushes forward and stabs the nun Isabella to death—I would think a first in the annals of Measure for Measure. My reaction to hearing about this was amazed laughter. Mary Jane after a little thought offered a justification for the ending.