I was wondering last night, has anybody done a meaningful version of Midsummer Night’s Dream that focuses entirely on the Mechanicals?  Imagine just cutting out all everything having to do with the young Athenians and you’re left with simple entertainment – they rehearse their play for the wedding of the Duke, the fairies interfere, all is resolved, and we get the climax / happy ending when they do it fact get chosen to perform for the Duke. Not saying it would be a great show on its own, but I could see it having some legs.

http://www.starobserver.com.au/entertainment/2009/03/25/shakespeares-daughter-accused/5084 Interesting play about a case in 1613 that saw one Susanna Hall, eldest daughter of William Shakespeare, accused of adultery and having a venereal disease. Always interesting to see stories involving Shakespeare’s children, we don’t hear much about them after they’re grown and on their own.

Last night I’m busy putting the girls to bed, so my wife’s got the boy.  I hear from down the hallway, “I sang you all the songs!  Mommy doesn’t know Shakespeare, Daddy sings that one!” 🙂

http://www.ellisparkerbutler.info/epb/biblio.asp?id=2358 Made you look, right?  Yeah, me too.  Actually my first thought was, “Umm…there’s no controversy.  The Bacon theory was started by Delia Bacon (no relation) who was pretty much insane.” So I was even more confused when the opening line to the piece said “Yes, and the solution is this : Of course Bacon wrote the plays, and I can prove it.” Turns out that the article is a humor piece by Professor Ellis Parker Butler, whoever that is.  It’s somewhat reminiscent of Mark Twain in its “so simple any fool could see it” presentation that makes a connection between a Stratford breakfast order (ham omelette, naturally) and, you guessed it, ham-let.  [I choose Twain deliberately, since he himself was a questioner of Authorship.] I suppose it’s funny if you like such things.  I just felt like reposting it to see how many of you get trapped by the subject line, like I did. 🙂

http://www.pbs.org/engage/blog/five-good-questions-king-lear You’ve probably already heard, but the press releases are coming at me fast and furious this week reminded us that PBS has scored the broadcast rights to Sir Ian McKellen’s King Lear and they are shouting it from the rooftops. First off let me start by saying that earlier reports of “airing in late March, check your local listings” will I’m told be Wednesday March 25 – that’s tomorrow people.  So if you haven’t set the DVR yet, get hopping.  (Thanks to bigtimebobdowning for reminded me of that one).  Let us know in the comments if you find it at a different time in your area. Second, I’ve gotten word about the PBS Engage event called “Five Good Questions”.  They are actively soliciting Shakespeare questions for Director of the Folger Shakespeare Library Gail Kern Paster.  Go and check it out, if for nothing else to see that I was first in line to get my question posted ;).  I hope she plugs the blog if my question gets picked 🙂 🙂 :). Busy week!