MetaFilter posts tagged with shakespeare and plays

a semi-staged production of Shakespere's A Midsummer Night's Dream with Mendelsohn's incidental music

feelinglistless — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:42:19 -0800

Last night, BBC Radio 3 broadcast a semi-staged production of Shakespere's A Midsummer Night's Dream with Mendelsohn's incidental music. Now they've put a video of the performance up on their website. Sorry if this isn't available in your area. It was actually broadcast on television last night, but only on the BBC's digital red button service something which was hardly publicised so this is a handy catch up which will be available to the end of the year. I think it's one of the best productions of the play I've seen. It constantly subverts the expectations and implications of what a 'semi-staged' production can do and there are many wonderful moments developed from out expectation of how the cast are going to handle particular aspects of the play in a venue what should be relatively hostile venue to this kind of work.

The Case for the First Folio

feelinglistless — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:42:42 -0800

The Case for the First Folio For centuries, editors of Shakespeare's plays have conflated different published editions (quartos and folios) in an attempt to create one true text as the writer intended. In this essay (.pdf file) Jonathan Bate, one of the editors of The RSC Shakespeare makes the case that in fact what they're doing is editing together different drafts of the play originated by the bard at different times in his life attempting to make better dramatic sense. Essentially that none of the texts you studied at school are what Shakespeare intended to be performed at all. It's a very long essay but there are many wonderful revelations; my favourite is probably that the popular girl's name Imogen is a textual error created by a compositor when putting together an edition of the play 'Cymbeline' having misread the double 'n' in Innogen, a character name which also turns up in Much Ado About Nothing. Sorry Imogens.

ColdChef — Fri, 15 Mar 2002 06:21:15 -0800

Beware the Ides of March! Take a little time today to think about Crazy Old Bill. There's a ton of Shakespearian stuff out there from the silly to the scary. (Even if you do think he's a phoney). Party Anon, dude.

hincandenza — Sat, 02 Mar 2002 12:11:02 -0800

Much Ado About Something. Fascinating Salon review of a new documentary investigating whether Shakespeare was really just a front-man for Christopher Marlowe, the true author of all the Bard's work. At first it sounds like just so much literary conspiracy theory, except unlike most conspiracy theories this one seems to gain more credibility the further you delve into it. The film just wrapped up a two- week opening run in New York City, and should be arriving soon at theaters in your area.

o2b — Wed, 05 Sep 2001 07:01:10 -0800

INTERIOR SHOT: Stratford-upon-Avon; Study; William at desk

William:
To be or not to be...

William: takes long toke from hash pipe on desk

William:
That is the question...

snakey — Mon, 06 Nov 2000 09:20:05 -0800

Pot smoking may lead to -- Macbeth!