Got Shakespeare?

[Hathelin]

Any one of you WarRinging fiends as speareshaken as I like to think I am? As stoic as I pretend to be sometimes, I'm a thespian at heart and a potential theatre-major, and my background's in Shakespeare. I've spent the past five years and running under the wing of troupe named for and based in the Bard himself. His words are my life.

I s'pose this thread is dedicated to your thoughts on his works, but I also post with a more focused purpose. I'm currently in the throws of an indie production of Hamlet, and I was hoping to spark some healthy discussion as to novel insights or certain elements you would like to see emphasised in the tragedy.

Let me begin by saying that our script is cut quite a bit; it's far shorter than the RSC's edition, but we've added a few lines they omitted just for kicks. For those of you to whom this will strike some meaning, we're splicing together the scene in which Claudius and Laertes plot Hamlet's death and that in which Hamlet explains his sea-journey to Horatio. As far as I can tell (and it's fairly early in the production), the mood we hope to establish is darker, deeper (if possible) and less grandiose than most traditional interpretations. Est-ce qu'il y a les commentaires?

[Frodo's Pearl]

*Hand shoots up* I really like Shakespeare! I'm with a small group that does his plays. We try to make them child-friendly, so we cut too. ;) I have been Celia and William in "As You Like It", Titania in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Prospero in "The Tempest". I always love reading and seeing his plays. My faves are probably "Dream" and "Hamlet". "Hamlet" really is a very thought- provoking play.

[Hathelin]

My former troupe was geared towards youth as well, but towards youthful actors and not youthful audiences. Hamlet and Othello are the only plays we cut because there are so many editions and both are so long, it would be foolish to attempt to try and perform the text of texts for either. I don't mind A Midsummer Night's Dream, but our director claims that Shakespeare wrote it for children, and therefore we (children, for the most part!) shouldn't perform it because we're obligated to show the world that we can perform adult pieces for an adult audience. Oh, Richard. What a ridiculous (and brilliant!) man. At any rate, my favourites would have to entail Hamlet, 1 Henry IV and Henry V.

[Amaranth]

Oooh yes, I love the Bard veryhappy The theatre company I currently co-run does new plays but I've done a fair bit of Shakespeare, Hamlet's one of my favourites (as well as Much Ado). I think a darker take on it would be very interesting, tone down the frills and fancies and crank up the goth lol

[Frodo's Pearl]

I actually took a year off from the group this year, but still saw their play, which was Much Ado. It's starting again soon, and I'm going to be back.

[Hathelin]

Hamlet himself isn't so "goth" as he is "emo", and we're trying desperately to beat that aspect of him down to a pulp. x) You should convince your peers to do more Shakespeare, Amaranth!

Much Ado's a good play and I've secretly always wanted to play Benedick, but on the whole, I prefer the tragedies and the histories.

[BelovedCaptain]

Well, I don't know much of him. I've only read, the Tempest, Much Ado about Nothing, Romeo And Juliet, Julius Caesar, King Henry VII (I think) and some of Midsummer Night's Dream. I also like the one sonnet he wrote, "Love is not love...." How does the rest go? I haven't read him in a while.
Did you know that people are now wondering if Shakespeare was not just one man, but a bunch of men that all wrote these sonnets and plays? I guess they suspect that because the many pics of him are all different looking.
My dad played Prospero in the Tempest in High School. ;)

[Hathelin]

That's more than most. The better part of people I encounter have only read R&J, Macbeth and Hamlet. I'm not sure of the title or number of the sonnet, but I know which one you're writing about - there's something about marriage in the first line, right? At any rate, I prefer his plays to his raw poetry, but in any case, he's brilliant. x)

Scholars and other qualified folk have been claiming that an array of different gentlemen have written his works for a long, long time. I, personally, believe it's a load of poppycock. People seem to have a problem with attributing so much greatness to one man. o.0

Did your father enjoy portraying Prospero? Prospero's words are what redeems the play in my eyes - I'm not a huge fan of the Tempest. I wish I had the chance to perform Shakespeare at my secondary school. I had to search elsewhere to become involved, for the most part because I didn't agree with the director of the drama department on many levels.

Speaking of immersing myself in Shakespearean theatre, I'm now (possibly) acting and (positively) intern-directing for a production of King Lear as well as Hamlet. Exciting. =3

[Frodo's Pearl]

Yeah, I have heard that one or maybe more men wrote out Shakespeare's plays for him.

[BelovedCaptain]

Wow, good for you, Hathelin! I hope you do well!! :grin:
I don't believe all that either. It just seems more awesome to believe that one man created all those lovely works. Well, I still think Shakespeare was one man, whatever those historians may say. ;)
I think he did enjoy playing it. He said it was one of the best parts he played. He did other plays too, mostly musicals.

[Hathelin]

Francis Bacon. Christopher Marlowe. The Earl of Oxford. I think those are the major claims. Ridiculous!

In any case, I'm glad your father enjoyed playing Prospero. Is the performance recorded somewhere that you could perhaps view it? My siblings participated in school musicals as well back in the day. I might have lived that life, too, had I not been introduced to my Shakespeare troupe.

[BelovedCaptain]

No, the only thing he has of his high school years are pictures.
He said he loved when Prospero did the tempest in the start of the play. He said it was so fun to be lifted up and pretend to start a storm. :)

[Hathelin]

I can imagine so. Power, even on the stage, is always an addicting adrenaline charge. I remember delighting in the slight rushes I always experienced when everyone bent their knee every time I mounted the stage as King Richard II! Crazy stuff. What did your father's costume look like? Extensive? Ridiculous?

[BelovedCaptain]

Umm, I think it was like, a long robe and a big wig and beard. With a staff... Sorry, can't really remember. But I tell ya what, I would have loved to see him in action. He has a good voice for it, he can make himself be heard even in a room full of people! and you should hear him sing!! *siiiiigh*

[Hathelin]

O! I imagine so! And I'm sure his daughter inherited his best traits. =3 Most of the Prosperos I've scene have been garbed in flowing robes and sporting long hair and beards. In fact, I believe I've only seen one production where the Prospero was completely hairless. Interesting interpretation.

[Frodo's Pearl]

When I was Prospero, I didn't wear a beard. And I'm a girl! But it actually worked out really well. And once I also saw a live short of "The Tempest" where Prospero was a guy, and didn't have a beard. But he was FABOULOUS.
I had a sort of colourful, irredescent cloak that was really beautiful. (I just love Prospero's Epilogue.)

[Hathelin]

Hear hear, hear hear. It's a tradition in my troupe for all the cast members to recite it from "We are such stuff..." to "rounded with a sleep" before the very last performance, regardless of what play is in production. Anyway, it sounds as though your costume was really lovely! I don't remember much about my company's Prospero costume because I've never acted in the Tempest, but I believe it was a black and green robe with sparkling gold accents.

[BelovedCaptain]

You were Prospero? Sweet!

And thanks for that compliment, Hath! :cuddles:

[Frodo's Pearl]

My local group is starting up again. There might be a split into younger and older kids, so maybe we'll end up doing a tragedy! :beg:

[Hathelin]

The youth sector of my troupe is open for ready and willing individuals five and a half to 19 and we do tragedies all the time. The true miracle, however, is the fact that most of the younger kids know exactly what they're saying when they speak their lines. That's good directing. xD Anyway, best wishes, Pearl! I know non-tragedies can be tedious.

[Frodo's Pearl]

Thanks! I mean, it's not that I don't like non-tragedies, but I'd just like to do something a little dark and more challenging for a change, if ya kow what I mean.
I think one of the most fun things of being a Shakespearean actor is that you're acting even with little kids, and THEY understand the dialogue of the play better than most of the audience does! :grin:

[BelovedCaptain]

well, in the words of Wishbone: "it may be a little tough at first, but once you start chewing on it, you can really get into it!" :grin:

[Frodo's Pearl]

There you go. ;) (I really loved the Wishbone episodes of "The Tempest" and "Romeo and Juliet".)

[BelovedCaptain]

Same here. In fact, the Tempest episode is coming on this week, where I am.
anyways, I liked the play Julius Caesar. We had to memorize Mark Antony's speech in class. "Friends, romans, countrymen, lend me your ears...."

[Frodo's Pearl]

For me, Julius Caesar is one of the better Roman tragedies. Coriolanus' story was pretty good, but at times, it *really* got long and boring. Same with Anthony and Cleopatra. (I had to read all three for school.)

[JemFinch]

Wow. It's great to come back and discover (*gasp*)....NEW FORUMS??

:whoohoo:

SHAKESPEARE!!!!

Hamlet is definitely my favorite. A Midsummer Night's Dream is a close second. I haven't had the opportunity to really be a part of a Shakespeare play. Two years ago, my school did a montage of different scenes...my sisters and I did a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream. I was Helena and it was probably one of the best nights of my life.

Several years ago we tried putting on a small production of A Midsummer Night's Dream with some neighborhood kids. We ended up moving, but we got really far into it. The great and amazing thing was that these girls came from really bad homes and they had no exposure to literature at all...then to see them memorize the lines and act it and feel it...that was a great experience. :grin:

[Frodo's Pearl]

Wow, that is amazing, Jem. ;)

My local Shakespeare company also sometimes does a series of scenes, usually at a Renne. Faire. I usually have something else going on, so I'm a little too busy to do that with them, but they are really neat performances.

[BelovedCaptain]

Hi, Jem! :wave:
I've never been in a Shakespeare play either, but I think it would be an awesome experience!
(hehe, it reminds me of the movie Nicholas Nickelby, where they do Romeo and Juliet, and one of the characters is terrified of being in front of everyone, and he's only the apothecary! lol)

[Hathelin]

Hullo Jem! I don't believe we've met. And if we have, we haven't exchanged nearly enough words. I wish I was involved in more community and/or outreach theatre programmes myself. The drama of an established company is a little too much for comfort sometimes.

BC - over the years, my Shakespeare troupe has added Shaw to their repertoire, but only recently have we added Dickens! Our reprise production (yes, it was that popular in spite of the crazy time table) of RSC's adaptation of the novel just ended a week or so ago.

[Frodo's Pearl]

A couple years ago the director of my Shakespeare group held a fundraising Renne. dinner. It was really fun; she and a group of professional actors played (fictional) royal couples of Spain, England, and France, and a whole story was weaved through the entire dinner night. I and a couple other of the actors in the Shakespeare group played serfs, so we had to serve people the whole time! (I was part of the English {My costume was actually the one I wore for Celia in "As You Like It" ; it kind of looks like Rosie's party dress in FotR}). But later in the evening, we got to stand up and recite Shakespeare for everyone! It was a really fun experience.

[BelovedCaptain]

Wow, that does sound fun!
*sigh* I wish I was involved in stuff like that.

[Frodo's Pearl]

Yey, my local group is started up again! There's this little girl in it who's like, six years old or something, and she already LOVES Shakespeare. She saw a movie of "As You Like it" about fourteen times in a month, and also likes Richard (#?)!!! She's amazing. I have really encountered some amazing little kids in this group.

[ladyofthelight]

I'm not a huge Shakespeare fan, I haven't read much, but I loved what I've read. The Scottish Play is my favourite, with what I've read so far of King Lear as a close second. Even though I've never read it, or seen it in person, the movie version of Much Ado is amazing.
What is everyone's opinions on modern adaptations of the Bard's tales, such as 10 Things I Hate About You, and Kiss Me Kate (which are modernisations of the Taming of the Shrew)

[Frodo's Pearl]

I've heard songs from "West Side Story", which is an adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet".

[ladyofthelight]

I apsolutely love that one! The music, the drama, it's wonderful!

[BelovedCaptain]

I've seen Kiss Me Kate. That one was ok.
And I've heard music to Westside Story. It's very beautiful, but I regret to say that I've never heard/seen the play.

[Vanadesse]

I just read Much Ado About Nothing for school. I loved it!!
Am I the onlt one who loves Beatrice. That woman is hilarious. Everyone in my class ridiculed me for liking her. lol
~Vana~

[BelovedCaptain]

Oh no. I like Beatrice very much.
He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man. And he that is more than a youth is not for me, and that is less than a man, I am not for him! haha..lol

I had to explain MacBeth to someone I work with last night. haha, she was like, I shoulda had you for a study guide! hehe..;)

[Vanadesse]

OK than it's not just me. Her attitude toward men is the funniest thing I've ever heard!!
I love Shakespeare even though I've only read Julius Ceasar and Much Ado. :(
~Vana~

[BelovedCaptain]

Yes, Shakespeare is great, but it's easier to understand if you have a study guide or something. ;) Well, at least for me it is. lol

[Vanadesse]

They were both relatively easy for me to read...but that might have been because we go through it in class after. lol
~Vana~

[The White Rider]

I'm hardly on here anymore, but I do in fact think very, very highly of Shakespeare. Used to specialize in his works while I was in theatre many ages past. Partial to the tragedies, of course, especially the Roman plays.

[BelovedCaptain]

Yes, Julius Caesar was a good one. "Et tu, Brute??" :grin:
I had to memorize Mark Antony's speech in class one year. I really enjoyed it. :)

[Frodo's Pearl]

It's different for different people: some people like to use study guides (I still do!) and others can read the plays easily because they understand the language of the Bard. What I like to do is read a summary of the play first and then read the play text itself. It's much easier to understand that way, at least for me.

Last year my local Shakespeare company did "Much Ado", and my friend who played Beatrice (she's a real Tomboy) she did a GREAT job as her, so funny and clever. :D

[Vanadesse]

I had to memorize Marc Antony's speech too!!! I got the Shakespearean award for it :P
Beatrice is like...my hero. lol
~Vana~

[BelovedCaptain]

I like Benedict, myself. ;)
Did you see the movie based upon that play? Emma Thompson plays Beatrice.

[ladyofthelight]

I love that movie! It is hilarious and very well done! I loved the casting and the acting was wonderful.

[BelovedCaptain]

Yes, I love it too. The part where the three guys try to convice Benedict that Beatrice secretly loves him is a scream. lol

[ladyofthelight]

Yeah, I love that scene. I'm partial to the scene where Beatrice And Benedict trade insults in the courtyard though. He hath more faults than hairs, and more hairs than wits

[BelovedCaptain]

It's just a great movie altogether. ;)

I've just read MacBeth recently, and I heard that someone put in the scene where the evil goddess visits the three witches -after- Shakespeare wrote the play. :huh: I wonder if that's true...?

[ladyofthelight]

I don't think there's anyway of knowing, but it's always fun to speculate.

[BelovedCaptain]

Indeed! ;)

I would like to read Hamlet sometime. What's that one about?

[Frodo's Pearl]

Evil goddess in Macbeth?? Never heard that one. :(

Hamlet's my fave. tragedy! It's about the prince of Denmark who agonizes over whether and how he should avenge the murder of his father by killing his wicked uncle. He then pretends to have gone crazy, but is then not sure if he's only pretending or if he truly HAS gone mad. I really enjoyed the play, and we have the movie (with Mel Gibson and IAN HOLM!!! :grin:)

[BelovedCaptain]

Well, it's the part where the witches say "double double toil and trouble!" and their master/sorceress lady comes to talk to them or something. Hecates, I think is her name in mythology?? I dunno. That was in my textbook...

Ooh, who does Ian Holm play in that?

[ladyofthelight]

Hekate is the goddess of the dark moon, triple cross-road and sorcery in Greek mythology, but she isn't evil. Very fascinating. That was one of my favourite scenes.

[Frodo's Pearl]

Ian Holm plays Polonius, Ophelia's father. Ophelia is played by one of my fave. actresses, Helena Bonham Carter. She's really lovely in this movie.

[ladyofthelight]

Which version, the Olivier, or the other, or the third? I only know the Olivier version. I've yet to read or see Hamlet, but my favourite lines are 'Alas poor Yorrick. I knew him well Horatio' and 'There's something rotten in the State of Denmark'

[Frodo's Pearl]

There's a Lawrence Olivier "Hamlet"? Cool, I'd like to see that sometime! The one I have was made about 20 years ago or so.

[ladyofthelight]

I think so, I could be wrong, but I think I remember his name in conection with Hamlet.

[Frodo's Pearl]

We also have "Macbeth" with Orson Welles; I've yet to see it though.

[BelovedCaptain]

Ooh, there was a pic of him as MacBeth in my textbook. :grin:

[ladyofthelight]

Ive yet to see anything but R&J for true Shakespeare movies.

[Frodo's Pearl]

We also have the Lawrence Olivier "As You Like It". It's pretty good; Olivier is especially cute as Orlando, but Rosalind is pretty bad; she's the director's wife, and so HAD to play her. She's got this accent that doesn't fit with everyone else's. :P

[ladyofthelight]

Nepotism is a bad thing when it comes to acting, especially when they can't do accents. lol

[Frodo's Pearl]

Well, in the upcoming productions in my group, I am going to be playing Friar Lawrence in "Romeo and Juliet" and Peter Quince (whoo-hoo! :yahoo:) in "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

[ladyofthelight]

Sweet! Ypu'll have to tell us how it goes. Break a leg!

[Frodo's Pearl]

Thanks, LotL! :rose:
If you like, you can visit our website, www.thejuniorshakespeareans.com . (You'll see some pics of me! I'm Titania from a few years ago, another, I've got a cloak on with a staff, and also another where I'm wearing a 'Frodo Lives' t-shirt.) :D

[BelovedCaptain]

Ooh! Have fun! Friar Lawrence has that sad quote at the end of the play, doesn't he?

"Never was there a greater tale of woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.." or...sumthin like that...;) Wishbone did that play! :grin:

[Frodo's Pearl]

I love the Wishbone one! Actually, I was a little disapointed to find out that in the play, the Prince of Verona actually has that line and not Friar Lawrence. Darn! I really like that line! *Pouts*

[BelovedCaptain]

Oh, does he? Oops. Yeah, that is a bummer. ;)

[Frodo's Pearl]

Of course, the Friar is still really cool. And one of my sisters is going to be Friar John. :D

[ladyofthelight]

I wish I had the guts to go on stage, I'm too shy to be an actress.

[BelovedCaptain]

I'd like to give it a shot, but I don't know if I have any good acting skills. ;)

Ooh! I'm reading Hamlet in Lit! I love the little poem he writes in his note to Ophelia. It's so cute. :grin:

But the situation doesn't look good for any of the characters. Hamlet just killed Polonius on accident, thinking it was Claudius, in my reading. :nono:

[ladyofthelight]

I'm a decent actress, but I'm too shy. I act a lot in front of friends, but more than that and I get such bad stage fright.

[BelovedCaptain]

Ooh! I just finished Hamlet! :grin: I really enjoyed it. I think I like it better than Macbeth. And if I was in the play, I think I'd want to be the gravedigger! :grin:

[ladyofthelight]

I'm going to read it as soon as I finish a library book. It looks amazing from what I've read so far.

[BelovedCaptain]

It is pretty good. I liked it better than the other tragedies, though I'm more of a fan of the comedies.

[Frodo's Pearl]

Same here, pretty much. ;) Gravedigger? Yeah, one thing that I've found out from being in theatre: the smaller parts many times end up being the most memorable characters in these plays, because they are so funny. As my director says, there are no small parts, only small actors.

[BelovedCaptain]

Well, the gravedigger is so great, because the guy is able to outwit Hamlet. And he acts sarcastic and somewhat disrespectful toward him, which is kind of funny. ;)

[Frodo's Pearl]

Yeah. lol

I got my scripts on Tuesday! Cool!