http://bustill.blogspot.com/2008/04/whats-hamlet-to-japan-by-kaori-ashizu.html A fascinating history of how Shakespeare (particularly Hamlet) was introduced to Japan, via the Dutch translation, in the 1850’s, and what happens in translation.

http://www.iagofilms.com/ Not quite sure what this is, exactly, but I saw a bunch of bookmarks fly past my feeds this morning that referenced “Iago Films”, so I knew I had to check it out.  Shakespeare’s words aptly come to life in I Will Avenge You, Iago!, a comedy about great actors and their on and off stage dramas and farces including adultery, burglary, suicide and murder. A great stage performance almost costs Jack Bandrowsky (Larry Pine – Melinda and Melinda, Vanya on 42nd Street, The Royal Tenenbaums) his life when a naive and confused audience member, Marvin (Keith Nobbs – Phonebooth, 25th Hour, It Runs in the Family) goes backstage to kill the villain Iago at the end of “Otello”. In a desperately improvised and inspired performance, Bandrowsky convinces Marvin that the real villain is not him, but instead — the Duke, who killed his beloved daughter Gilda.

http://www.warlordccg.de/blog/2008/05/22/and-let-slip-the-dogs-of-war/ I have no idea what game that card is from, but I don’t think I’d want to see him on the field of battle.   (That reference is small on Shakespeare, large on Geek. :))

http://www.boston.com/ae/events/articles/2008/05/21/campus_calendar/ I find this link (courtesy my coworker Beryl) too late to be of much use since it’s happening tonight, but you never know who’s listening.  Kenneth Starr, he of Clinton/Lewinsky infamy, is dong a reading of King Lear to be followed by discussion of “how the political and legal issues in the play pop up oin state, national and international levels”.  Free, but tickets are required.  Contact info at the link.

http://stellascript.blogspot.com/2008/05/adapting-shakespeare-part-i.html A bit of a twist on the old Shakespeare Anagram idea – take anagrams of a play’s title to create titles for new, fictional works.  Then write a summary of what that work would be.