So, I was just asked for some Shakespeare help on Twitter.  “Modern intepretation of Act 3 scene 2 possible?” asks a follower (who shall remain anonymous in case he didn’t want me posting this).

“…of what play?!” I asked, amused.

Turns out, Richard III.  I had to admit, R3 is one of my guilty plays – and by that I mean, I’ve never seen it and don’t know enough about it, and for that I feel guilty.  Had he asked about many of the other tragedies or comedies I may have had a shot, but the history plays have always been my weak spot.

So I turn to you geeks.  What’s happening in Act 3 scene 2, and what sort of “modern interpretation” can you come up with (that perhaps hasn’t already been done to death)?

Given that it was just asked on Yahoo! Answers I’m going to assume that some English teacher somewhere asked this question, exactly as phrased (because the student cut and pasted it directly):

3. Which of the following best describes Friar Lawrence?

1. He is a hot-tempered, violent, spiteful man who tends to hold a grudge.
2. He is a bawdy, funny, high-spirited man who likes to crack jokes.
3. He is a well-educated, thoughtful, and realistic man who tends to be optimistic.
4. He is a sly, underhanded, and cunning man who tends to break his promises.

Ummm … #3? Is that the answer that’s wanted here?  He may be the only adult in the play who can think rationally enough to see both sides of Romeo and Juliet’s story, but I’m not sure whether that makes him thoughtful and realistic?  After all he’s also the guy that said “Hey Juliet, my plan involves you being buried alive, and me rescuing you.”

Am I missing something?

Just spotted an interesting question over on Yahoo! Answers, and I think that my crowd over here could generate some interesting content on the subject.

Say that you’ve got no real acting experience – you’re not part of a group, never done this sort of thing before.  You and a bunch of friends get together and say “Hey, let’s perform some Shakespeare.”

What happens next? What’s the checklist?  I’m curious now, since I think there’s people in the crowd that may have done exactly this.

What sort of permissions do you need to get?  Even if you just wanted to head on into the town common and start reciting, who has to ok that?  What limits and rules are there?  Is it usually standardized, i.e. you’d be able to find the person at town hall who knows what to tell you, rather than scratching their head at the crazy person asking things no one has ever asked?

What about choosing a text?  If I own, say, the Norton version – can I just head to the photocopier and make a dozen copies of Midsummer to pass out?  (I know the answer to that one, but I want somebody to give me the “right” answer.)

What else?  What details would somebody doing this for the first time miss, that from experience you can tell us?

Saw this one go by on Twitter, and it didn’t take long to discover that it was said in 2007 by Richard Phillips, right here.  I don’t know who Rick Phillips is – some sort of pastor/priest?