Category Archives: Shakespeare

MY VOTE FOR TRANSLATING SHAKESPEARE (COMMENT).

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Philip

MY VOTE FOR TRANSLATING SHAKESPEARE (COMMENT). I was going to post today on my view that there should be performances of Shakespeare in translation. Kent Richmond in a comment on yesterday’s post has powerfully stated my main argument: “You say … Continue reading →

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SHOULD SHAKESPEARE BE TRANSLATED INTO MODERN ENGLISH?

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Philip

SHOULD SHAKESPEARE BE TRANSLATED INTO MODERN ENGLISH? My friend Joe Foley has long contended that Shakespeare’s language is inaccessible to modern audiences. John McWhorter argues in this essay that for theatrical performance Shakespeare should be translated into modern English. What … Continue reading →

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MARY JANE’S FULL-LENGTH PLAY ABOUT SHAKESPEARE.

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Philip

MARY JANE’S FULL-LENGTH PLAY ABOUT SHAKESPEARE. Mary Jane’s full-length play about Shakespeare—Shakespeare in the Dark—will be given a reading by an excellent cast this Friday January 28 at 7:30 at 5 Gregory Blvd., Norwalk, CT.

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THE CROCODILE—SHAKESPEARE’S BAWDY.

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Philip

THE CROCODILE—SHAKESPEARE’S BAWDY. In Antony and Cleopatra, in the drinking scene (Act II, scene 7), while the men are talking about Egypt, Lepidus asks Antony: “What manner o’ thing is your crocodile?” Antony replies: Antony: It is shap’d, sir, like … Continue reading →

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OCTAVIUS AND ANTONY.

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Philip

OCTAVIUS AND ANTONY. One surprising thing about the Hartford Stage Company production of Antony and Cleopatra was their interpretation of Octavius. The play contrasts Antony and Octavius. Frank Kermode in the Riverside Shakespeare gives what seems to be a representative … Continue reading →

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WHY I CAN ENJOY A PLAY MORE THAN SOME GOOD DIRECTORS CAN.

Posted on November 8, 2010 by Philip

WHY I CAN ENJOY A PLAY MORE THAN SOME GOOD DIRECTORS CAN. A couple of the good directors I know have acknowledged that they have some trouble enjoying other productions because they have strong views about how the play should … Continue reading →

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“AH, SOLDIER!” IN PERFORMANCE.

Posted on November 7, 2010 by Philip

“AH, SOLDIER! IN PERFORMANCE. We saw an excellent production of Antony and Cleopatra at the Hartford Stage Company. (That leaves 6 Shakespeare plays that I have not yet seen.) Of course, after posting on how much T. S. Eliot (and … Continue reading →

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OVID AND A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM.

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Philip

OVID AND A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. I mentioned the proposition that A Midsummer Night’s Dream is not a good play to Nick, and he suggested that Judith Fleming might not be completely serious. I agree. I think she is calling … Continue reading →

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REASONS FOR QUESTIONING A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM.

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Philip

REASONS FOR QUESTIONING A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. Judith Fleming elaborates on her question by saying that “It has three scarcely related actions….Its characters are walking contradictions.” It is hard to imagine another playwright— then or later—combining three such different sets … Continue reading →

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IS A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM “NOT A VERY GOOD PLAY”?

Posted on October 10, 2010 by Philip

IS A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM “NOT A VERY GOOD PLAY”? I saved a review in the March 5 2010 Times Literary Supplement which Juliet Fleming begins by asking: “Could it be that A Midsummer Night’s Dream is not a very … Continue reading →

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