modern shakespeare
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URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2766
Printed Date: 11/24/24 at 8:47pm
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Topic: modern shakespeare
Posted By: drose
Subject: modern shakespeare
Date Posted: 10/23/07 at 1:54pm
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We are going to do a shakespeare production (Midsummer Night's Dream, MND) next fall and we plan to contemporize the setting, not the dialogue. I've only had a few "bad" reactions (ie. "I hate it when people make shakespeare modern"), and am curious to get some other opinions. What do you think? -for the record: I am terrifically excited by my plans and think it is a wonderful idea! My opinion that is that a good show, is a good show and vice versa. And Shakespeare is easy to contemporize so long as there aren't a lot of socio-political characters and data that place it in a specific time. I don't like when Shakespeare twisted to represent real, contemporary characters at the expense of the text. |
Replies:
Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 10/23/07 at 9:42pm
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Use adverse these comments in your favour, closer to the production.
Emgineer a 'letter to the editor' of your local News Rag, denouncing
moderising shakespeare & keep the pot bioling by stiring it up.
Nothing like free promotion at little cost. You might even snag a spot on a TV show, with one of your local talking heads. if you create enough of a bull dust storm. This article may help you stoke the fire under the pot? ;- http://www.senioryears.com/shakespeare.html - http://www.senioryears.com/shakespeare.html Was old Bill a con man, of course! He pulled a big stroke & Coney [rabbit] out of his titfer, when he fell into this game & would have made every post a winner in order to survive. The timely forced engineered death & dissapearance of Chris Marlow. {An educated upper crust author]. That allowed his escape to the Contiinent,avioding the debt collectors sword &/or the daggers of irate fairer gender fathers, he left behind. It was a gawd sent bonus for old Willy S. Also it is believed Willy never ventured further from London, than that of the trades hall stage in Norwich Town, where the troupe he was in performed once. There again the author Greene, who also performed under the stage name of 'Shake Speare' throws some doubt on that. Billy might not of got out beyond his Digs in Southall London? I can't remember the name of that famous HSND production. That was the first broke away from tradition? To that of just a plain colourless set & took it out of the fairy woods for once! |
Posted By: dboris
Date Posted: 10/24/07 at 12:30pm
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/unconventional_director_sets - http://www.theonion.com/content/news/unconventional_director_sets
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Posted By: vickifrank
Date Posted: 10/24/07 at 4:33pm
| Just don't listen to the bad comments. I saw a local production of Shakespeare modernized and it was wonderful and gorgeous. The key is to make it a good production--so have the actors believe in it; have great direction and a great set. The beauty of theater is that its make believe, and people who attend theater attend wanting to believe. Artistic risk is my favorite thing--I'm betting yours too. |
Posted By: avcastner
Date Posted: 10/24/07 at 9:50pm
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I have seen Shakespearean plays modernized, and some were great while others were lousy.
I saw Much Ado done in the 20's, the 30's, and the 40's. All were great!
I saw The Merry Wives of Windsor in the 60's and it was horrible.
Two Gents and the Tempest both in 1890's--the Tempest done in an HG Wells motif. Both were good.
I think the biggest idea is to make sure you research it and prepare for it just as much as if you were going to set it in 17th Century England (the time it was written) or Ancient Greece (the time it is set in originally). Whatever you do with it, do it full force and plan an extra 2 weeks more of rehearsal than you really think you need--4 weeks if you have never done Shakespeare before. ------------- |
Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 10/25/07 at 2:11am
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Your right, there will always be some toffee nose academic purist, that will knock your endeavours. Take it with a pinch of salt. When Simon Gallagher devised his take on a series of G&S classics here a few years ago. Simon & John English added an upbeat to the music & shows. [Dave from P&M sales - I believe is now the UK agent for Simons productions 'ESGEE'] The local G&S Society went butchers hook [Crook] about it in the local media. By making comments of? how dare this upstart change the works of G&S?" Which worked in Somons favour because he got full houses everywhere the shows went & sold heaps of CD's as well. Actualy I would not be surprised if someone had of slipped a few dollars for the G&S mobs thru out the country, to get them fired up? Now that's worth thinking about! |
Posted By: Kibitzer
Date Posted: 10/25/07 at 9:47am
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The first production of MND I ever understood became a classic production. It was directed by the venerable British director, Peter Brook in the late 60's or early 70's (geez, I didn't realize how old I am!). He didn't so much update it as make it timeless. The set was nothing more than a huge white box. What it did, however, was to focus on the play, not the trappings of the production. A few years ago, one community theatre I worked with did a production of MND and set it in the 50's with poodle skirts and 50's music. It was our top selling show that season. People loved it! The point is, it's all about making Shakespeare accessible - and offering a well-directed, entertaining show. It's what Kenneth Branagh has been doing with the Shakespeare movies he has been making. Peter Brook. Kenneth Branagh. These are two of the greatest Shakespearean stage and movie directors of all time. I'd say you're in pretty heady company. By the way, as a marketing guy, I love the stoking the controversy ploy. It's a classic case for the premise that there is no such thing as bad publicity! Break a leg on your production! ------------- "Security is a kind of death." - Tennessee Williams |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 10/25/07 at 11:12am
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A number of years ago I did a production of Midsummer in modern setting (the royals were all business people and the settings were posh offices and board rooms; the faeries were all sort of goth-like street punks and bag people with the forest settings being alleys and streets). It was very popular - and was such fun to work on. If you have a vision, go for it. Nobody else should dictate your vision! (Unless you plan on updating West Side Story, in which case you should have somebody reign you in and medicate you  ) |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 10/25/07 at 11:16am
I saw that production as well! All those wonderful swings and trapezes and things! Marvelous!!  |