http://davidsonnews.net/2009/03/18/sonnets-book-battles-football-and-shakespeare/ Congratulations to 7th grader Ruth Swallow who won first prize in the literature portion of the North Carolina Reflections contest for … let me see if I get this right …  composing a “coronet” of seven sonnets, each linked by first/last lines.  So the last line of the first sonnet becomes the first line of the next. I have to say, I’ve written sonnets and I found it difficult.  To write a bunch of them, on a theme, with that particular requirement?  In seventh grade, which would make her, oh, about 13 years old is all that much more impressive.  Good job, Ruth! [Of course, as a Shakespearean I have to note that the first/last line thing confuses me – we all know that there’s a different number of syllables in the last line!] [UPDATE : Thanks to Bill for gently pointing out to me that it is the rhyme scheme, not the syllable count, that changes in the final couplet.  Don’t ask me where my brain was, I don’t exactly know. ]   Wait!  There’s more! Later in the article where it talks about a local school’s production of The Comedy Of Errors.  Though I’m not quite sure the point of this paragraph: “This is not your grandmother’s Shakespeare,” claims Ms. Gerdy. “It’s full of physical comedy and characters that bear striking resemblances to famous old “clowns” like Charlie Chaplin, the Marx brothers and the Keystone Cops.” First off, it was probably one of Shakespeare’s earlier efforts and thus the very definition of “grandmother’s” Shakespeare as compared to a later, younger generation.  And second, Ms. Gerdy then goes on to compare it to Charlie Chaplin and the Keystone Cops, shows that only my grandmother would recognize :).

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/wwlp_ap_mass_shakespeare_company_layoffs_200903172056 While CommShakes struggles to stay alive on its own in Boston, over on the other side of Massachusetts the Lenox-based Shakespeare & Company is tightening its budget as well.  They’ve laid off a few, and cut pay for the rest – including the founders, who will take no salary at all for several months. I’m sure most theatre groups are having similar difficulties all over, not just in my neighborhood.  So go see some shows, huh?  Even better, drag your friends along.  And when the time comes to pass the hat or rent a chair or buy a t-shirt, be generous.  You are closer to getting no Shakespeare than you might think.  And should that time come, it’ll be too late to break out your wallet.

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/03/west-side-story-portfolio200903 I knew that West Side Story was experiencing something of a revival.  With the help of Jennifer Lopez and friends, Vanity Fair magazine recreates some scenes from the famous (infamous?) musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Note that the pictures are actually in a slideshow format, you have to click on the navigation arrows atop the title screen to get it started.

http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/03/17/season_of_renewal_for_shakespeare_on_the_common/ When I heard that we’d be getting Shakespeare on Boston Common again, my first thought was “Really?  After all the financial whining that Citibank does?  Quite frankly I’m surprised.” Now, after reading the article in the Boston Globe about director Steve Maler, I’m not – they’ve cut ties, and he’s going it alone, and he needs to raise $350,000 to fund the planned 16 performances of The Comedy Of Errors.  I also understand that choice better now, as it is a small and strategic play without large and expensive set requirements. You see, now I want to give money.  More to the point, I want Citi to give me back the money I gave them, so I can give it to Mr. Maler. Link for donations on the second page, or just go straight to CommShakes.org and help them out!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/5005557/Academic-discovers-six-works-by-William-Shakespeare.html Funny I should mention “Arden of Faversham” just yesterday, innit?  Here we have a new scholar, Dr. John Cosson, with a new book called “Enter Pursued By A Bear.”  Cute title. Some of his “discoveries” include: Shakespeare’s first published poem, the Phaeton sonnet, his first comedy, Mucedorus, and his first tragedies, Locrine and Arden of Faversham. I truthfully don’t know how to parse that – is “the Phaeton sonnet” the name of the poem, or an independent thing? Anyway, he’ll also present evidence that Cardenio is a genuine work by Shakespeare and John Fletcher. I suppose we can chalk this up to yet another variation of conspiracy / authorship theories, but still, it’s interesting.  Doesn’t say much for the topic, though, that the article switches to coverage of the Cobbe portrait for the last 3 paragraphs.