http://www.westmonster.com/2008/07/to_stab_or_not_to_stab.html So apparently this Boris Johnson fellow, the mayor of London or some such, said that knife crime should not be looked upon with the glamorous image that is currently has thanks to Shakespeare characters such as Mercutio from Romeo and Juliet. I’m a little confused by the reference, since he was asked to explain who Mercutio was.  (If this was happening in America his response would have been, predictably, “Mercutio.  You know, the black guy from Lost.  He played DiCaprio’s gay friend at the party.”)  If nobody understands the reference, then can it really be said to have a “glamorous” image? I appreciate a politician trying to seriously work in an actual Shakespeare reference, and not just a random quote, however.

http://tripinator.com/2008/07/15/theme-based-cruises/ Shakespeare Cruise, anybody?  I believe our own Robin P. Williams is involved in this one.  Not sure if that was a one time thing, or if she’s one of the organizers or what.  Maybe she’s listening? Somebody do a Boston one of these 🙂

http://chicagotheaterblog.com/2008/07/15/review_midsummernightdream_aqueertale/ Here’s a quick rundown of some of Chicago’s Shakespeare choices this summer, including “Funk It Up About Nothin'”, “Desdemona: A Play About A Handkerchief”, and the main subject of the article, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream : A Queer Tale.” With forbidden lesbian and gay relationships, a Drag Queen Titania lip-syncing to Cher and Madonna and an outrageously erotic dance party fueled by euphoric intoxicants, this show celebrates the ‘old school’ joie de vivre of the community while, at the same time, illustrating the ongoing struggles for acceptance and equality. With a charming cast, fantastic soundtrack and the most playful choreography in town, this will reinvent your notions of Shakespeare in love to include sophisticated and stylized same sex subversion.

http://hogwartsprofessor.com/?p=423 A lengthy (and serious) comparison of Harry Potter and Hamlet, including the dead fathers, denial of the love interest, unwilling avenger, and so on.  Some of the points are strained, but it’s not like the author just whipped something out.  Obviously a good deal of thought was put into the argument.  Apparently he’s working on a conference presentation on the subject.   (*) Title comes from the fact that Rowling has attempted to sue people who borrow “her” ideas, which in turn caused a great number of authors (Orson Scott Card among them) to point out that, if that’s the case, she’d certainly stolen many of theirs.

It’s a mediocre picture at best, but on my lunch hour I wandered by to watch the crew set up for As You Like It.  Hopefully you can see the set will consist mostly of stage trees.  A very different approach from last year’s Dream where the fairies all carried balloons wherever they went.