Troilus and Cressida
William Shakespeare wrote a play about the Trojan War. Well, that’s just awesome. So why is it never performed that often? You know, the ancient pseudo-mythical decade-long conflict that even rivals World War II in pop culture. Even if you never read Homer’s Iliad or Virgil’s Aeneid, you know the general story. But the details … Read more
Hamlet
So… Hamlet. There is so much that has been written about this play already, so much life sucked from it by tired schoolroom analyses, and so many interpretations of the text put onto stage and film, that a relevant discussion can prove to be very difficult. So let me come at this entry from a … Read more
The Tempest
![Forbidden Planet Robby the Robot[1]](http://shakespeareactaday.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/forbidden-planet-robby-the-robot1.jpg?w=440&h=240&crop=1 "Forbidden Planet Robby the Robot[1]")
I’m starting off 2012 with this classic fantasy story, which actually holds a special place in my heart besides being an objective masterpiece of drama. It’s the first play that I ever acted in (excluding, you know, school Christmas Pageants and the lot), playing one of the magical “people of the island” that the sorcerer Prospero commands … Read more
The Winter’s Tale
![Ethan-Hawke-in-The-Winter-002[1]](http://shakespeareactaday.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/ethan-hawke-in-the-winter-0021.jpg?w=440&h=240&crop=1 "Ethan-Hawke-in-The-Winter-002[1]")
Prince Mamillus says early in the first Act of this play: “A sad tale’s best for winter: I have one Of sprites and goblins.” Shortly afterwards, he falls ill and dies of shock when his mother, Queen Hermoine, is falsely accused of infidelity by King Leontes. So begins this beautiful story of jealousy and forgiveness, with its famously unconventional structure. … Read more
Two Noble Kinsmen
It is fairly accepted among scholars that Shakespeare collaborated with John Fletcher on two plays: King Henry VIII, and Two Noble Kinsmen. Considering that the former play was one of the worst plays have ever read, ever, I did not have high hopes for 2NK (as I like to call it). It was not included in the … Read more
Cymbeline
If you ask me what my favorite Shakespeare play is, I usually say Cymbeline. Until recently, I sort of forgot why. But then I read the thing again just now, and oh dear Christ it’s a wonderful play. Really, really wonderful, with one of the era’s greatest female protagonists, opportunity for a spectacular battle sequence, … Read more
Twelfth Night
![She-s-the-Man-Screencaps-movies-2142366-960-540[1]](http://shakespeareactaday.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/she-s-the-man-screencaps-movies-2142366-960-54011.jpg?w=440&h=240&crop=1 "She-s-the-Man-Screencaps-movies-2142366-960-540[1]")
Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve done this. I took a bit off from this Act-of-Shakespeare-a-Day Project to focus on Blunt Objects Theatre’s Halloween production, Joan the Witch, and now there’s only a few weeks left in the year. Oh well. Might as well jump right back into things: the play is basically a … Read more
The Merchant of Venice
![the-merchant-of-venice-1-1024[1]](http://shakespeareactaday.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/the-merchant-of-venice-1-10241.jpg?w=440&h=240&crop=1 "the-merchant-of-venice-1-1024[1]")
So, remember when Two Gentlemen of Verona had a fairly nonchalant stance on rape? Well, Merchant of Venice has a similar problem with anti-Semetism. However, Merchant has two incredibly fascinating and therefore redeeming characters: Shylock, the Jewish villain of the play, and Portia, one of Shakespeare’s best female characters ever. Yeah, she’s racist, which is … Read more
Midsummer Night’s Dream
I have a confession to make: I’ve never been a huge fan of this play. It’s a classic, it’s cute, but I’ve never thought that the romantic confusion was incredibly hilarious – even before I read all of Shakespeare’s other comedies. The funniest part in any production that I’ve seen is always the play-within-a-play at … Read more
Love’s Labour’s Lost
Well, I’m not sure what I was expecting from the title, but this play is really sad… Really, lovely, but really also sad. Technically speaking, it’s not even a comedy, since comedies are expected to end in a wedding. But it certainly isn’t a tragedy, either. There is a category of “Problem Plays” that scholars … Read more
