While reading a post on another Shakespeare Blog (I’m not the only one!) I found an interesting post that sparked some interest: Bloody Good Shakespeare? - The Shakespeare Blog. You should see my reply underneath the post.

The post brings up a good question: “Does blood and gore have a place in Shakespearean production?” My answer: absolutely. Now I’m not a fan of slasher films, I don’t enjoy blood and gore for the sake of having blood and gore. If it’s there for a reason, then sure. There’s also suspension of disbelief to consider. It’s theatre, so not all the bells and whistles have to be there like in film. It all depends on the directors concept.

But some people are uneasy about excessive blood in one of Shakespeare’s works. Not everyone can stand to watch Julie Taymor’s Titus, a very bloody film of Shakespeare’s bloodiest play. But why this unwillingness to see the blood? Shakespeare wrote plenty of action filled plays. The histories are full of large battles between kingdoms, so are many action movies produced today. People don’t mind seeing gruesome killings in Braveheart. What’s the difference?

Many see Shakespeare’s works as “high art,” and “classic poety” which calls for a highly controlled intellectual and, quite frankly, boring experience. NO! Shakespeare’s plays were written to entertain the masses. People like to see a good fight! And quite often the outcome of a fight is blood being spilled. When Romeo and Juliet kill themselves and fall on top of eachother, are we supposed to think “Oh, how beautiful!” I don’t think so. This is a tragedy, not a romantic ideal. If Romeo vomited from drinking the poison, and Juliet bled all over herself, Romeo, and whatever else was around we would be rupulsed! Then their families walk in to a disgusting and tragic scene and realize that the cost of their feuding has been too great.

Now I’m not suggesting that this needs to be done for every production. Not a lot of theatre’s have the proper resources to do that sort of effect. My point is that people can’t be afraid to use blood where it’s appropriate. Shakespeare is entertainment. When you have a violent story, expect to see violence.

With 2008 only hours away, a time of reflection seems appropriate. No, I won’t tell you about my year. But I’m definitely thinking about it and I’m sure you’re thinking of yours too. With a new beginning comes new possibilities. Shakespeare wrote about characters who had so much in front of them. The choices they made paved the way to their end. Let us hope that this year will be a comedy! (Not all of them ended in marriage, if you’re not ready for that sort of commitment).

Shakespeare didn’t have anything to say about New Years’ specifically, he wasn’t a holiday-play kind of guy. Oh well. I’ll leave you to think up something clever to say! Let’s try to get some things done that we didn’t make much headway on this year. I’ve got a list of topics I’d like to discuss on this blog. I also have plenty of reviews to write. Happy New Year! Onwards and upwards!

So, on your patience evermore attending,
New joy wait on you! Here our play [or year] has ending.

- Pericles (V.iii)

People of all ages these days strongly dislike Shakespeare, and it’s not just that they’ve had a lot of experience with his works and decide they don’t like it - they have been brought up to fear Shakespeare. It’s human nature to be afraid of what you don’t understand, but this is ridiculous. Students in school are taught to fear Shakespeare. English teachers - who either don’t like Shakespeare, or love Shakespeare but have no talent for passing that on to their students - put the Bard on an inaccessibly high pedestal for the students to gaze up at. All the young students learn is that “Shakespeare is the best writer ever because he uses really big words that only really smart college professors understand what he’s saying.”

Nay, thou lilly-liver’d toad! ’tis not so!

Will this Bardophobia Pandemic ever be solved? Probably not. There will always be those that are incurable, though progress can be made. However this MAJOR problem is not exactly the top button of priority on everyone’s list. Alack, the educational system is kept busy enough trying to make due with their ever-shrinking budget. It looks like the solution will not be handed to us on a government sponsored silver platter.

It’s up to you (yes YOU!) and you alone to educate those unfortunate souls who have denied Shakespeare access to their lives. You must unveil the true magic of Shakespeare language and drama. Most will complain that they don’t understand Shakespeare… but the majority of these people have never, or not recently, seen a GOOD production of one of the plays. That makes all the difference. And if no theatre is nearby with a Bardorific performance then there are plenty of great movies out there. Especially anything directed by Kenneth Branagh - they’re easy to follow and very well done. GO! And preach the word of the Bard to the people! Hallelujah!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I hope you all are conviving with your friends, family, and/or loved ones. Now that you all have gift certificates and some cash on hand, it’s a good time to reward yourself with a little Shakespeare! Check out the links I’ve given you and buy a good book or movie. :-p

Through all my searching, I have found that Mr. Shakespeare only uses the word “Christmas” in any of his plays a mere three times. Not too surprising, I suppose, since none of his plays seem to take place around this time of year. It didn’t make for good action. Here are the uses of the word:

At Christmas I no more desire a rose
Than wish a snow in May’s new-fangled mirth;
-Love’s Labours Lost (I.i)

I see the trick on’t: here was a consent,
Knowing aforehand of our merriment,
To dash it like a Christmas comedy:
Some carry-tale, some please-man, some slight zany,
-Love’s Labours Lost (V.ii)

Marry, I will; let them play it. Is not a comonty a Christmas gambold or a tumbling-trick?
-The Taming of the Shrew (Intro, scene ii)

So it wasn’t Shakespeare’s favorite time of year. That’s okay! Maybe he was turned off to it by the immense commercialism of the season. Those last two quotes refer to Christmas theatrical events: pageants put on for townspeople perhaps by churches, and might not have included the best actors and writing which might be why Will didn’t like them so much. Shakespeare doesn’t refer to this Christmas event in a positive tone. The Taming of the Shrew Scene continues as such:

SLY. Marry, I will; let them play it. Is not a comonty a
Christmas gambold or a tumbling-trick?
PAGE. No, my good lord, it is more pleasing stuff.

You can read all the books about Shakespeare you’d like, take tons of classes, but on top of all that the way to be an expert on the Bard is to read more of his works! There’s no better way to learn about how he uses language than to see it in action. Many literary and storytelling devices are found in multiple plays, and when you find it multiple times you start to realize WHY it is effective dramatically, rather than just recognizing that it is.

Now remember that Shakespeare didn’t write his plays so that people could read and study them. They are PLAYS to be PERFORMED! So go out and SEE them! When there’s one playing near you: go see it. If you come across a movie version that’s new to you: rent it. Even finding an audio-book version is better than nothing. These words were meant to be spoken by one and heard by another. Shakespeare wrote for live theatre, not novels.

Now before the academics kill me, I will say that there’s nothing wrong with reading Shakespeare’s works and studying them, dissecting them, discussing them. It is in fact essential to do this so that you understand it while you are involved in the production of a play. But just don’t forget that it is a piece of theatre and you’re missing much of the meaning if you don’t go out and see it. Bite me, Harold Bloom.

If there were a two word answer to the question “what do I have to do to be a great classical actor?” My answer would be LOVE LANGUAGE.

Of course there is no magic two word answer that tells you exactly how to be a great actor. Loving Language is a simple concept, but the unleashing the full potential of your words is anything but easy. There’s no way to shortcut doing all your text analysis just because you think you love language. Text work is there to make sure that you use the text well. Having seen plenty of both good and bad productions of Shakespeare with good and bad actors, the good actors who speak well are easy to spot because they love language! It’s not enough just to talk the text. There is so much meaning in this text that you really have to dissect it and make sense of it to the audience.

In our odd American culture, we have been taught to distrust language. Words are misleading. Legal jargon surrounds everything and none of it has meaning. We have forgotten how to express ourselves using words. These days people express themselves through acts of violence after holding expression for too long. But Shakespeare characters are expressive! The words they use are their biggest tool for self-expression. Words live in the body, and come from the heart, the gut, not just the head.
Words, feelings, and thoughts are all one.
This is why there’s no subtext in Shakespeare. What the character thinks, feels, and speaks are all the same. And if they’re lying or being ironic - they’ll probably tell you!

Remember to love language. Use the words when you speak! From Will Shakespeare to Neil Simon, use your words effectively and you’ll be a better actor. An audience doesn’t care if you can make yourself cry if we don’t care what you’re saying. Love language like you would in any serious relationship. You have to love, respect, use, play with, learn about, don’t neglect it, and have fun with it.