http://geek.shakespearezone.com/?p=2529 Tad Davis, in what appears to be his first post on a new blog, merits a link for the depth of his analysis of Romeo and Juliet while still remaining actually readable.  It’s not a small novel, it goes maybe 10 paragraphs, but he manages to touch upon the loneliness of Juliet in the second act, points out a few of the more overt sexual references, makes a comparison of Lord Capulet to King Lear, offers some thoughts on staging in the Globe, and even hypothesizes parallels to Shakespeare’s own children. I’m not sure I agree with his opening line that the play “has to be his most heartbreaking one.”  It’s certainly his most popular and approachable (who hasn’t been in love with someone that society told them they couldn’t have?)  But I think that both Cordelia and Ophelia both die more tragic deaths than Juliet.

http://www.romeopublishing.com/ Ok, the Scientologist comment is my own.  But in this “sequel” to Shakespeare’s most popular play, Romeo dies for Juliet…and then awakens “on a volcano in Hawaii.”  Volcanos in Hawaii play a role in the Scientology creation story, you see. Anyway, the story we’re talking about is a “time-travel romance” where Romeo crosses paths with a reincarnated Juliet on the chatboards.  The search is then on as Romeo tries to reunite with his lost love. Sounds…different.  If I found it as an ebook I may grab it, that’s the only real way I read anything these days (not counting audiobooks).  Apparently there’s some “kinky cybersex” in there as well which might turn some folks off, but I’ve been around the net long enough to shrug that off.  The press release, by the way, makes one comment I don’t agree with.  The author says that he “wanted to place significant social barriers between them, as it was in Verona.”  The only thing keeping them apart was the feud between their families, which is not what I would call a “social barrier”.  Wasn’t that the whole point of “Two houses, both alike in dignity”?  Society in general, the townspeople who kept having their nights disturbed, thought the whole thing a big annoyance.

http://www.management-issues.com/2007/6/26/opinion/romeo-and-juliet.asp Here’s an interesting spin.  With the challenge of taking a Shakespeare play and exploring what it says about “business life today”, the author and his team of eight read the play (with obligatory complaining about the language), see the play, divide up the characters and then brainstorm about lessons they can learn about the drinking industry.  I’ll give you a hint, it has lots to do with communication. Interesting reading.

http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/performing_arts/story/151113.html I like this article for not just commenting on the respective ages of Romeo (around 17) and Juliet (13) and how you have to cast those roles relative to the actors’ ages, but for going into a pretty cool history about how other famous actors have played the roles. Basil Rathbone?  42 when he played Romeo. Orson Welles was a 19yr old Tybalt, which the article comments “must have looked a little out of place.” Norma Shearer was a 34yr old Juliet, alongside John Barrymore’s 54yr old Mercutio. But who’s the goofball quoted near the end who says that some people might call Romeo and Juliet one of the “lesser” plays?  It’s no King Lear, but it’s no Timon of Athens, either, people.

http://www.theplainjane.com/peep_plays/rj_scene01.html Yeah, that’s pretty much what I said.  Romeo and Juliet, enacted by Peeps, the marshmallow Easter candy.  Warning, lots of bad words and peep sex.