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By chance more than wit, in the past seven days I have contrived to see Hamlet twice. The first was the filmed version of the play staged by the National Theatre in London in 2015, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. And a … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Shakespeare
On Twitter the other day some writers complained about being forced to take courses in Shakespeare for their English degrees. I like Shakespeare myself. I was introduced to the plays when I was about ten by my father, which enabled … Continue reading
Free theater is a more ancient tradition than paying for the show. The plays of Aeschylus and Euripides were staged by rich Athenians, as an offering to Dionysus and Apollo and for the glory of the polis. It was more … Continue reading
I went to see King Lear, another one of the thrilling broadcasts of London drama, that one may occasionally catch in the US. They are always thrilling, and give us Yanks a chance to affordably see productions that you could … Continue reading
“[T]hat which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.” So Juliet says to Romeo, exhorting him to deny the name of Montague. “O be some other name!” But while Romeo is willing enough to throw … Continue reading
Ardent Forest by Nancy Jane Moore The young women approached the box to pay their respects to the Governor. “Daddy,” Cecily said. “Governor,” said Rosa, wondering exactly when she had stopped calling him “Papa Guy.” “Daughter,” said the Governor, beaming … Continue reading
Ardent Forest by Nancy Jane Moore The late afternoon sun caught the gold mirrored glass in one of the dozens of tall buildings that stretched to the south. In that moment it was possible to imagine a bustling downtown, one … Continue reading
When my father was in North Africa during World War II, he asked his mother to send him the complete works of Shakespeare. He carried the volume she sent him throughout the war. It didn’t save his life — as … Continue reading
In my ordinary life, I do my best to avoid taking things that don’t belong to me. I only eat grapes when I’m shopping if there’s a display inviting me to taste them and I will point out to waiters … Continue reading
Say what you will about Netflix’s new model for serving up an entire season in one fell swoop, it works for me. I watched the series over the weekend and sticking with it for the duration helped me discover its … Continue reading