http://www.wundurfulwurld.com/2008/08/bolt-recites-hamlet-during-record-run.html I thought it was funny :).  For those not watching the Olympics, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt made news of himself this week by running his race so fast that he actually celebrated during the 100m race and still broke the world record.  He then did it again in the 200m, breaking another world record.  The man is quick like a bunny. There was a story on Digg.com about the IOC being unhappy with him for celebrating instead of going back to congratulate his opponents immediately upon the finish of the race.  I liked the commenter who said, “The problem with this is that immediately upon the finish of the race, the rest of the racers still had 20 meters to go.”

[Thanks to Angela for commenting on the original as well.  I had this one flagged to post but she beat me to it!] http://www.getthebigpicture.net/blog/2008/8/20/james-mcavoy-and-emily-blunt-lend-voices-to-gnomeo-and-julie.html We have to go all the way back to April 2006 to find reference to Gnomeo and Juliet, Elton John’s animated feature that takes place in a world of “tacky garden gnomes.”  Apparently the project is alive and well, as The Hollywood Reporter has news of James McAvoy and Emily Blunt in negotiations to do the voices. I’m not as keen on this project now that my kids have already seen an animated Romeo and Juliet.  If they already know the plot and the characters, but not the original text or the real ending, what can animated gnomes bring to the table?  Anybody think that Mercutio-gnome buys it in act 3?

http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/odd_ends_stolen_out_of_holy At first I thought this list was going for movies that were other than “original text in a different time and place”, but he includes Luhrman’s R+J, Ethan Hawke’s 2000 Hamlet, and others that I would have considered relatively tame interpretations. Most are old favorites easily recognized, like Ran, Throne of Blood, Forbidden Planet and so on.  However, I did find a few I’d never heard of, including “Men of Respect” (a gangster Macbeth starring John Turturro) and “Happy Campers”, apparently a teen-sex comedy done up as an “airy, Midsummer Night’s Dream farce.” Bonus points for mentioning the cult “Tromeo And Juliet”, which you’ll either recognize immediately if you know the Troma work, or you’ll have no idea what’s going on.    I never saw that one, but I do remember hearing about a quote that stuck with me – “How about I use your guts to Jackson Pollock the street?”  I remember thinking, “Now, see, there’s a creative image.” Quote of the article, re: Prospero’s Books… Among its many virtues: Prospero’s Books is a dream come true for those who think that what Shakesepeare’s plays most lack are dozens and dozens of shots of male genitalia. Between that and Ian McKellen’s King Lear, what is the fascination with Shakespearean actors getting naked?

http://www.hollywood-newsroom.com/backlot/julius-elected-for-big-screen-adaptation/ I was going to say “It’s been awhile since somebody did a Julius Caesar movie”, and then went to IMDB to see exactly how long.  Turns out that somebody’s making one due out in 2009, too.  Granted that one is out of Hong Kong and I’d likely never get the opportunity to see it, but still. Julius is based on a graphic novel from Oni Press about a “London crime king” and the generals who conspire against him.

So I’m thinking it’s time to introduce the kiddles (6, 4 and 2, and although the 2 doesn’t really count yet…) to a new Shakespeare play.  Thus far we’ve done:

• The Tempest.  They love it.  I’ve told them the story, I’ve read them “children’s” versions, I’ve shown them picture books, we’ve discussed details, and they’ve seen a production.
• Romeo and Juliet, edited.  They know a version with a happy ending where everybody wakes up.  They have a movie, Sealed With A Kiss, which is an animated feature about two warring families of seals.  It’s surprisingly good once you adjust your expectations.  I choose not to expose them to the real ending yet. My 6yr old knows about it in theory, but based on her questions she’s not ready to see it for real yet.
• As You Like It.  I read a children’s version of this one to them in preparation for the Boston production this summer, but they did not seem to really get it like they got Tempest.  Perhaps it was because I read it directly from a book with few pictures, where I did the Tempest from memory?
• Midsummer Night’s Dream.  I tried to explain this one to my 6yr old, but she got confused too fast.
• King Lear, edited.  They know a very slimmed down version of King Lear which reads much like Cinderella.  Namely, “two bad sisters who treat their father poorly, and one good sister who comes back to rescue him from the forest.”  I realize it’s not even close to the real thing, but I like the idea of my 4yr old daughter naming her dolls Ariel, Genevieve, Cordelia, Regan and Goneril.
• Macbeth, aborted.  My 6yr old tried to read one of my Macbeth graphic novels and gave up because it was far too violent.

So I’m wondering what to tackle next.  I would like to make progress with Midsummer, but clearly trying to tell it like a bedtime story does not work very well.  I’m toying with the idea of using their Legos and other dolls to illustrate who is who.  I don’t think they’d get much out of Much Ado, the themes are a bit too grown up.  Likewise with Shrew. What else?  I think the common theme is that they like little to no violence (even in Romeo and Juliet the confrontations are limited to stuff like “Romeo got mad because the Prince made Mercutio fall off the cliff, so Romeo pushed the prince off the cliff” where everybody lands in the water and survives), and mistaken identity makes it too confusing (As You Like It, Dream).  I’m not as familiar with the late plays (Winter’s Tale, Cymbeline, etc…) as I should be.  Is there anything in there that I could translate down to kidspeak?  What is it about The Tempest that is so different from the other plays, and where did Shakespeare repeat those themes?