Category Archives: Theater

IS 1700 THE CUTOFF DATE FOR UNDERSTANDING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE?

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Philip

IS 1700 THE CUTOFF DATE FOR UNDERSTANDING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE? As a linguist, John McWhorter points out that language change is “a gradual process with no discrete boundaries.” Yet, he says, Congreve writing in 1700 is readily understandable by a … 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 PENSIVE AND AWFUL SILENCE.”

Posted on January 15, 2011 by Philip

“THE PENSIVE AND AWFUL SILENCE.” The final scene of 1776, as I remember it, is silent except for the tolling of a bell and a solemn voice announcing the name of each of the delegates portrayed and the colony he … Continue reading →

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HOW JEFFERSON WAS CHOSEN TO WRITE THE FIRST DRAFT.

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Philip

HOW JEFFERSON WAS CHOSEN TO WRITE THE FIRST DRAFT. I had known that the songs between John Adams and Abigail Adams in 1776 were based on their letters. I had not known that the song sung by a quintet about … Continue reading →

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THE ACCURACY OF 1776.

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Philip

THE ACCURACY OF 1776. My idea of the signing of the Declaration of Independence comes from the musical 1776, and I was pleased to see how accurate the musical was. The one exception that I found in reading SIGNING THEIR … Continue reading →

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TOO MUCH OSCAR WILDE?

Posted on December 26, 2010 by Philip

TOO MUCH OSCAR WILDE? I have long believed that the New York Times, which has extraordinary power over New York theater, does not like revivals of classic plays. An essay (December 22) by Jason Zinoman provides some evidence. It asked: … Continue reading →

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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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