WordPlay™ Shakespeare

Now, Half the Page is a Stage...

In every day use

Detroit Recovery -- Powered by...Shakespeare?

https---blogs-images.forbes.com-leeseymour-files-2018-09-SamWhite_083116-264_EDIT-1200x800

A hugely heartening story out of Detroit, where Sam White, artistic Director of
Shakespeare in Detroit has with pluck and vision pushed forward her vision of Shakespeare as part of Detroit's revival. Taking cues from Jospeh Papp and his seminal work with the Public Theater in the 1970s, she has swooped in, staged performances in crumbling spaces, and now created a growing alliance with Aamir Farooqi, head of Banyan Investments. Read more here.

Gambino and the Bard - A Complex Performance

180508-childish-gambino-this-is-america-dance-2-ew-613p_cc7acabe6dbf3ebf2853dec80d8c9984.focal-1000x500

Film, TV star, singer, and entertainer
Donald Glover, (stage name Childish Gambino) has put out a grim and troubling music video (This is America). What caught our attention was an article comparing the piece's multi layered messaging and overall complexity to Shakespeare, and the Bard's tendency to write on multiple levels about complex issues — graft, intolerance, cruelty amongst others. The article, from Heidi N. Moore writing for NBC news is well-written and thought provoking.
Beyond the references to Shakespeare, this video also reminds us of the different ways in which critics can make their points.
Slate and The New Yorker choose writing (with embedded videos), while Art Insider chooses a deconstruction of the video with voice over and words and diagrams overlayed on the video. Both approaches work well, but Art Insider's approach seems to us slightly more effective overall. Judge for yourself!

To Stay, or Not To Stay...

Juliet's Balcony

Guardian columnist William Keegan deftly suggests that Shakespeare would have voted for England to stay in the European Union, largely on the basis of all the plays that Shakespeare admiringly set in Europe — chiefly, of course, Italy — Romeo and Juliet (Julite's balcony in modern day Verona pictured above), Othello, Merchant of Venice, to name just three. Of course, one could just as easily suggest that Shakespeare championed England as a standalone and defiant entity in a sea of European wars (The Henriad) — but on the day before his birthday, let's go with Keegan's view!

Stamp of Approval (Part 2)

179483_0_992_MTk1OTg1NTk5MTg3MDk3NjExOA
Our first post on commemorative stamps got us interested in how Shakespeare is represented on postage stamps. So we dug around, and found two things. First, from Hat Trick Designs and Marion Deuchars, this series of six stamps that came out in 2011 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Royal Shakespeare Company's founding. Starting at top left, here is the key to actors and plays respectively: David Tennant (Hamlet), Anthony Sher (The Tempest), Chuk Iwuji (Henry VI), Paul Scofield (King Lear), Sarah Kestelman (A Midsummer Night's Dream) and Ian McKellen and Francesca Annis (Romeo and Juliet).

RSC 50th Number 2

From the same anniversary, and with the aid of illustrator
Rebecca Sutherland, a set of four stamps, in a very different style, showing the four Stratford on Avon theaters. The actors are harder to identify, but we think they are, from top left and going clockwise: Francesca Annis, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and Judy Dench.

Stamp of Approval (Part 1)

2016_8543_l

Almost exactly two years ago, in 2016, the
Royal Mail issued ten commemorative stamps celebrating Shakespeare's 400th anniversary. Scholar Sir Jonathan Bate chose quotes from Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Julius Caesar. Have a look at what other plays and sonnets made the cut.

Spring is Sprung (Timing is Everything)

IMG_1292

A New York-centric post today. Did you know that a subset of the flowers in the Shakespeare Garden in Central Park (tulip, narcissus and fritillaria) are timed to bloom on April 23 -- Shakespeare's birthday? You do now! Read here for more.

Open the Pod Bay Door...

256px-HAL9000.svg

Hal 9000 — one of the most memorable "computer voice" in modern film history, the device that goes berserk, only to be outsmarted by astronaut David Bowman. Behind the voice, the seasoned Shakespearean actor Douglas Rain, who brought an eery, knowing, and menacing calm to the voice, and reminding us of our potentially fraught relationship with computers. This is a great New York Times article on several levels, and very much worth reading.

Star Wars Shakespeare Parody Series to Continue

star-wars-books-jedi-the-last-cover-tall
Ian Doescher scored quite a hit several years ago by creating a Elizabethan parody of the Star Wars films (more or less every title tacking "etc" to the end of a word or two and giving it a Shakespearean language veneer). With six tomes under his belt, the next in the series is due out July 7, as announced by Star Wars website. Whatever its limitations in terms of introducing readers to Shakespeare's language, it does certainly convey the rhythm and affect of Shakespeare's work, and can surely only help for students who struggle to understand his language.

Speak the Speech as the Robot Recites it?

Robots and Shakespeare

Shakespeare resonates all around our contemporary world, but
this article from WKERA in Dallas points to a use for Shakespeare in the future, in robots that work with the elderly. Astonishing work from the folks at the Emotional Robotics Lab at UT Arlington.

Without Rhyme or Reason (It Must be Shakespeare!)



In this nicely done two minute video, English comedian Rob Brydon runs through some phrases that are in the English language today, that were coined by Shakespeare. How many? By our count, 61. How many do you know? Watch and find out!

Starlings, Shakespeare, and an Air Crash

Eastern_Air_Lines_Flight_375_fuselage

One of the sadder Shakespeare related stories from recent history. Shakespeare (indirectly) caused an air crash in 1960. A plane taking off from Logan Airport in Boston was brought down by a flock of starlings. The Shakespeare connection? Starlings are not native to the US, but were brought over by Shakespeare fanatic Eugene Schieffelin in 1860, so that Central Park would be stocked by every bird mentioned in Shakespeare’s works. For more on the story, read a New York Times archive story, and a wikipedia entry on the events surrounding the actual crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 375.

All Those in Favor, Say "Ides"

15nytoday3-superJumbo
It's that day of the year again, the dreaded (for Roman dictators at least)
Ides of March. Professor James Shapiro of Columbia University takes the opportunity to discuss Shakespeare's importance not just to America, but to New York City itself. And there are some great little stories in there.

Alas, C3PO, I Knew Him, Luke

Annakin
This is a two year old summary video by the New York Times, but it is really good. It examines Shakespeare's pervasive influence throughout our high and low culture, and manages neither to sneer nor fawn in the process. Well worth three minutes, and a great primer for classroom discussion. It includes references to The Simpsons, Different Strokes, Star Wars, The Muppets, Sesame Street, Star Trek, Iron Man, A Fish Called Wanda, Die Hard, The Terminator, The Postman, Lion King, Empire, Sons of Anarchy, House of Cards, Gilligan's Island, and performers such as David Bowie, Beyoncé, Styx, and…Bugs Bunny?

Shakespeare (and Company) is Back!

You've got Mail
After a brief absence, a New York landmark is coming back — independent bookstore Shakespeare & Co is returning to New York City. A good piece of news, at last!

A Violent, but Alas Enduring Sentiment

IMG_1626
An unpleasant yet enduring sentiment, here on the side of a Manhattan bus in March 2018, and of course generated by Shakespeare in Henry IV Part II. Yet another confirmation point of Shakespeare's enduring insight into human obsessions.

Insulting

Bite thumb
In the classrooms we have visited over the last few years, we've noticed that Shakespearean insults, and software that generates "Shakespearean-style" insults seems to work well in capturing the imagination of younger students. We recently came across this amusing video of Siobhan Thompson deploying insults in a 21st century context. Cleverly done, and not too insulting…

Upstart Crow

crow-1
Fans of Rowan Atkinson's Blackadder series should know about Upstart Crow. With the same writer (Ben Elton) and yes, the same slightly lowbrow (but gentle) sensibility, Upstart Crow stars English comic actor David Mitchell. With two seasons under its belt, and a third on its way, it offers an enjoyable peep inside Shakespeare's life. Sort of!

Age (In)appropriate?

Objections

Always beneath the surface with Shakespeare's plays: how do 21st Century teachers handy the sometimes bawdy and violent imagery and language in Shakespeare? In Western Australia, principal Ted Kosicki feels that certain texts — including Romeo and Juliet — need to be reviewed, and possibly removed from the curriculum. A tricky subject, and also proof again of the value Shakespeare provides, by exciting discussion and thought.

How Do You Explain Probelms with the Indian Economy? Shakespeare (obviously!)

sunny-deol-brushes-biceps-with-shakespeare-in-an-effort-to-reach-masses
Yet another indicator of Shakespeare's ubiquity: India's chief economic advisor, Arvind Subramanian, explains aspects of India's economic challenges by referencing who else, but The Bard (and Indian actor Sunny Deol).

If You Can't Make it to Stratford, How About Visiting San Weng?

Stratford Home
China will recreate the playwright's family home / Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has signed an agreement with the Fuzhou Culture and Tourism Investment Company, permitting the building of a replica of Shakespeare's Stratford home in San Weng. Two other notable writers will be so honored, including Miguel de Cervantes, and Tang Xianzu — very roughly China's nearest equivalent to Shakespeare.

Shakespeare at the Rugby Stadium

methode-sundaytimes-prod-web-bin-9b508364-f895-11e7-9644-5d5d116c6d89
This is an article about rugby (obviously). But it's always nice to see a little Shakespeare allusion threaded in, amongst the heaving athletes, and the blood, sweat, toil, and tears!