I’m not sure how I feel about this. I appreciate the creativity behind the idea, and bookmarked it immediately to back and check it out. What if Romeo and Juliet really could get married, in a real church wedding, with the blessing of both families? What would the ceremony look like? Such is the premise of this teaching unit for grade level 9-12. http://zunal.com/introduction.php?w=38731 Here’s my problem, though – if you start with that premise, haven’t you basically said “Ok, everything is up for grabs”, and therefore there’s really nothing from the play for you to bring in? It’s kind of crucial to the play that the Montagues and Capulets hate each other. You can’t put them in the same room. So if you start by taking that away, then don’t you lose everything? The lesson does mention to be careful where you sit people so you don’t start anybody feuding, which I suppose is a pointer in the right direction. There’s also reference to flowers, and making it clear what will be in season – which sounds to me like a high school teacher’s way of asking the “when does the play take place?” question :). (I also think that I’d take this more seriously if there weren’t so many spelling errors. Just because you put together a lesson online doesn’t mean that quality has to suffer, people. You’re supposed to be English teachers.)
Month: March 2010
If You Steal A First Folio, Be Entertaining About It
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7043164.ece The continuing story of Raymond Scott actually picked up last week, when he was in court again denying that he did anything other than “find” one of the most rare books on the planet. The only reason this story is interesting is that the guy is a certified whacko:
Mr Scott appeared at Newcastle Crown Court wearing green combat army fatigues held up by a Gucci belt, and a pair of black Dior sunglasses, presumably a tribute to Che Guevara, a hero of Cuba.
Reminds me of when Michael Jackson showed up at court in his pajamas.
Would you, Could you, Change the End?
I love the idea of Seussifying Shakespeare. I few years ago I took the kids to a production of The Tempest on Cape Cod that was done up that way, with a narrator who kept jumping in and telling what happened in a very Seussy sort of rhythm. http://www.ocala.com/article/20100304/ENTERTAINMENT/100309829
But we do find oodles of homage to the great children’s writer. For example, there are references, if you listen hard enough, to "Green Eggs and Ham," "The Cat in the Hat," "The Sneetches" and the "Tale of the Zax." Maybe even more, hidden in stacks.
Yet, from Seuss they’ve not borrowed, say Narrator Two and N. One. But nevertheless, the whole play is great fun. (stop! stop! stop it!)
Jodi Touchton and Lauren Ellers are the narrating pair, with plenty of spunk sporting blue and pink hair.
"The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet" Where: Outdoor patio, Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. Note: bring chairs or blanket to sit on
When: 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday and March 13; 3 p.m. Sunday and March 14
Cost: $6
Information: 236-2274 orwww.ocalacivictheatre.com
Oxfordian Disaster?
We’ve mentioned before that director Roland Emmerich, best known for his disaster movies like The Day After Tomorrow and 2012 , is taking on Shakespeare Authorship next. Here’s an interview with the man cast as Oxford himself, Rhys Ifans: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/03/04/rhys-ifans-says-roland-emmerichs-shakespeare-movie-anonymous-starts-shooting-in-april/ Who? Ifans is currently working on the next Harry Potter movie, but hasn’t been in any of the released ones yet. Looking through his bio, trying to figure out what people would have seen … he’s really got nothing as lead. Lots of supporting work. I think I remember him best (and by that I mean, ‘at all’) as roommmate Spike in Notting Hill. That’s going back a bit. Anyway, what do we learn in the interview? * Shooting starts in April. * Shakespeare himself isn’t cast yet, but is apparently an “illiterate drunk” in the movie. Sounds like a winner.
Hotel for … Dogberry?
When I first saw the movie Hotel for Dogs with my kids, I spotted the Shakespeare reference to the two dogs in love – they were named Romeo and Juliet, obviously. Upon watching it on video with them, however, I noticed what had escaped me previously. The brother and sister dog are named Sebastian and Viola. Anybody could have come up with the first one, but methinks one of the writers is something of a Shakespeare geek to have snuck that second one in there ;). If we assume in context of the movie that it was the young kids who were naming all these stray dogs, and they were the ones that came up with the Shakespeare references? All the better!