Image credit Photo by Hulki Okan Tabak on Unsplash
There’s Fun in Shakespeare
Shakespeare is sometimes a prominent name folks think of at the mention of classic literature. But all too often people think of him as stuffy and ancient history. While he can be a bit stuffy, he can also be very powerful, and even very funny.
His power and humor are hard to get when you read his works however, he is a playwright, not an author. He wrote his works to be seen on the stage, not to be read.
Were You Soured On Shakespeare?
Too often people’s first, and therefore only, exposure to Shakespeare comes in high school or college when they have to read his work for a class. Reading his work puts people off. They find it boring to read, so they assume it will be boring to watch on stage. They assume they don’t understand the archaic wording, so they will be able to understand the play on stage. With good actors, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. However, once folks get put off, it’s hard to get them to let go of their preconceived notions.
Converting the Soured
When you bring yourself to give Shakespeare another try find a college or university in your area staging a production. They’re capable enough they’ll do a quality production, with less of the cost of a professional company. An arts education is a worthy cause for your support.
Before you go it’s a good idea to read a quick synopsis of the play. Even if you read through the cliff notes or spark notes entries for the play, you will have enough understanding it will make a lot more sense to you. You can find some great guidance from the BBC here. https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/english-a-midsummer-nights-dream-index/z6rcgwx
When you get into a theater, or on your couch in front of video recording of the stage production, let go of your biases. Take your understanding of the plot from the action, as much as you do from the dialogue.
Where To Find It Today
As a rare case, this classic literature lover is recommending you watch some of Shakespeare’s funniest.
Hopefully I’ve convinced you to give Shakespeare a try. There’s a selection of different quality productions of his Midsummer Night’s Dream.
This first link is for a production by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1968. It has some of the most well-known actors of the time and is “one of the wittiest and wildest of all versions produced.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RD-7aRcxmA
For those of you feeling a little less ready to watch a play on a stage, this link is for more modern BBC version filmed “on location deep in the heart of a Sussex wood at the height of midsummer.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRZ2SmmyMC4
Shakespeare wrote more comedies than he did other kinds of plays because even in Shakespeare’s time people wanted to laugh. Relax and allow it to tickle your funny bone.
Have you ever seen a staged production of a Shakespeare comedy? Which one? Were you soured on Shakespeare? And had to be converted? Have you been converted to a lover of his work or simply an appreciator?