Thank you
For bringing your sewing kit,
Seasonal rips we have had.
Thank you
For hosting tea parties,
Ignoring time that drives us mad.
Thank you
For your psychic humor.
Good wrinkles instead of bad.
Thank you
For your friendship, above all.
Goddamnit, I’m so glad.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Confession
I do not enjoy reading Shakespeare.
It's a secret I have hidden the last seven years of school. That's not to say he's not an important playwright or contributor to the English language. This is just an admittal that I have failed to see the significance and feel the impact his words and stories are supposed to have on students.
I read Macbeth in the 10th grade. It was my first Shakespeare play. It was optional reading, but like all American students interested in reading and writing, we fell under the impression that this man was the godfather of everything we read, so we were supposed to be interested. I read the play at home and thank God I had the clipnotes or I wouldn't have had a clue what was going on.
Fast forward to today and I've read five Shakespeare plays, gotten through them rather. And I've only comprehended the plays thanks to teachers, films, seeing them staged, and Wikipedia plot descriptions. Never once have I had an eureka moment when reading a play myself. I have, however, had good experiences watching the plays performed, for currently, Shakespeare's power on me lies on the physical stage, with the plot and characters already explained before you walk into the theatre. Once I knew what was to happen, I could enjoy how it happened. Watching a Shakespeare play being staged without studying up ahead of time is torture.
I recognize and honor the respect many directors and actors have paid to Shakespeare. Famous artists like Kenneth Branagh or Laurence Olivier that have paid homage to his characters have an undeniable passion for Shakespeare. These people have a hard understanding and fascination for the material that I can't even approach.
The closest I've come to connecting to Shakespeare was watching how the members of the fictional New Burbage Festival staged his works in the Canadian TV show Slings and Arrows . The fictional characters in that show approached Shakespeare in a very serious, epic fashion that seemed comical at first. However, the holier-than-thou approach eventually rubbed out and seemed to best suit the material. Everything about Shakespeare is grand -- the characters, the actions, the costumes, the emotions, the dialogue. The creators of the show seemed to understand that, and I think being a part of that type of company would inspire me. The inspiration hasn't come on my own, and I'd need help.
My question is this. Do most young people show interest in Shakespeare because they genuinely enjoy the content and language or are they showing interest because teachers and high society have always preached the gospel of Shakespeare?
I'd be interested to know how many young students today like Shakespeare because they feel like they are supposed to. I've felt that way too long. I kept my disinterest in Shakespeare hidden for a while....for could you imagine? A theatre major that doesn't enjoy Shakespeare! Gasp!
I don't think this feeling will always be the case. I think I have a lot of growing up and more knowledge to gain before I can gain a genuine fascination of all things Shakespeare. Sure, I've had Shakespeare company actors enlighten me on the man. I've sat down with these people at seminars, and we would dissect monolgues and dialogue and the light in my head would gradually go on. But like most people, I feel the need to discover the artform for myself. Art that has to be carefully explained and demonstrated loses its impact for me. I want it to sneak up on me and surprise me. That way I would be driven to look into reading more.
I have a lot of growing up and knowledge to gain before I can get a true fascination for the man. Let me apologize to my English and Theatre teachers for any dishonesty. You won't read this, so that apology is more to the artist inside me. I'm getting there.
It's a secret I have hidden the last seven years of school. That's not to say he's not an important playwright or contributor to the English language. This is just an admittal that I have failed to see the significance and feel the impact his words and stories are supposed to have on students.
I read Macbeth in the 10th grade. It was my first Shakespeare play. It was optional reading, but like all American students interested in reading and writing, we fell under the impression that this man was the godfather of everything we read, so we were supposed to be interested. I read the play at home and thank God I had the clipnotes or I wouldn't have had a clue what was going on.
Fast forward to today and I've read five Shakespeare plays, gotten through them rather. And I've only comprehended the plays thanks to teachers, films, seeing them staged, and Wikipedia plot descriptions. Never once have I had an eureka moment when reading a play myself. I have, however, had good experiences watching the plays performed, for currently, Shakespeare's power on me lies on the physical stage, with the plot and characters already explained before you walk into the theatre. Once I knew what was to happen, I could enjoy how it happened. Watching a Shakespeare play being staged without studying up ahead of time is torture.
I recognize and honor the respect many directors and actors have paid to Shakespeare. Famous artists like Kenneth Branagh or Laurence Olivier that have paid homage to his characters have an undeniable passion for Shakespeare. These people have a hard understanding and fascination for the material that I can't even approach.
The closest I've come to connecting to Shakespeare was watching how the members of the fictional New Burbage Festival staged his works in the Canadian TV show Slings and Arrows . The fictional characters in that show approached Shakespeare in a very serious, epic fashion that seemed comical at first. However, the holier-than-thou approach eventually rubbed out and seemed to best suit the material. Everything about Shakespeare is grand -- the characters, the actions, the costumes, the emotions, the dialogue. The creators of the show seemed to understand that, and I think being a part of that type of company would inspire me. The inspiration hasn't come on my own, and I'd need help.
My question is this. Do most young people show interest in Shakespeare because they genuinely enjoy the content and language or are they showing interest because teachers and high society have always preached the gospel of Shakespeare?
I'd be interested to know how many young students today like Shakespeare because they feel like they are supposed to. I've felt that way too long. I kept my disinterest in Shakespeare hidden for a while....for could you imagine? A theatre major that doesn't enjoy Shakespeare! Gasp!
I don't think this feeling will always be the case. I think I have a lot of growing up and more knowledge to gain before I can gain a genuine fascination of all things Shakespeare. Sure, I've had Shakespeare company actors enlighten me on the man. I've sat down with these people at seminars, and we would dissect monolgues and dialogue and the light in my head would gradually go on. But like most people, I feel the need to discover the artform for myself. Art that has to be carefully explained and demonstrated loses its impact for me. I want it to sneak up on me and surprise me. That way I would be driven to look into reading more.
I have a lot of growing up and knowledge to gain before I can get a true fascination for the man. Let me apologize to my English and Theatre teachers for any dishonesty. You won't read this, so that apology is more to the artist inside me. I'm getting there.
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