30 Days of Shakespeare, Day 14: Richard II, Drama Queen

OK! Slight hiccup in my schedule, but let’s get back on track, starting with one of my favorite drama queens.

I love all of Richard’s self-indulgently melodramatic speeches. “For God’s sake, let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings.” “What must the king do now? Must he submit?” “Ay, no, no, ay, for I must nothing be.” They’re all pure theatrical gold, and that’s just scratching the surface. I could listen to Richard try to be the center of attention all day; he may be a megalomaniacal narcissist, but his language is absolutely golden.

30 Days of Shakespeare, Day 11: The Reinterpretation of the Shrew

I’m dipping my toe into some controversy with today’s 30 Days of Shakespeare pick, but hear me out!

There are plenty of people who think The Taming of the Shrew is among those plays that just should not be performed anymore, and I completely see their point. It is SO toxic. But how productions deal with that toxicity always intrigues me.

I have to admit that I often feel bored when I walk into a theatre for yet another Romeo and Juliet or yet another Julius Caesar. Yes, they are great plays, but there is only so much to can do to them to differentiate them from what has gone before. Whereas every time I see a Shrew I am excited to see how they are going to deal with this landmine of a play. Are they going to do the "love at first sight" sting? Are they going to make the sun/moon scene a joke or abusive? Is Kate going to be in on the bet at the end or will her spirit genuinely have been broken? How is she going to make "I am ashamed that women are so simple" work? There are so many different directions it can go in and that potential to see something different this time excites me.

You’re never going to be able to “fix” The Taming of the Shrew, but you can explore a lot of interesting stuff while playing around with its brokenness.

30 Days of Shakespeare, Day 6: Emma Thompson's Beatrice

‘Nuff said.

There are very few Shakespeare-related opinions that I will completely reject out of hand. Enjoyment of Shakespeare is wonderfully subjective, and if you happen to like or dislike different productions, actors, and interpretations than me, that’s totally fine! Don’t care for Henry IV, part 1? That’s allowed! Enjoyed the Ethan Hawke film of Cymbeline? Wow, I’m glad someone did. You do you! Think it’s ok when productions of The Winter’s Tale don’t actually show the bear? No problem, everyone is entitled to be wrong sometimes!

But if you don’t like Emma Thompson’s Beatrice, it’s all over between us.