To his credit, Garry Wills does not attempt to tell us what Shakespeare or his contemporaries “really meant,” nor does he suggest that there are ways that these plays ought be staged.
William-Shakespeare
Theater Review: “Measure for Measure” – A Problem Play for Shakespeare’s Time — and Ours
Shakespeare may have written Measure for Measure as a dystopian satire of what it would be like if the Puritans were ever to take over England.
DVD Review: Roman Polanski’s “Macbeth” – A Paranoiac Fever Dream
Among the most haunting aspects of Roman Polanski’s 1971 film version of Macbeth is his visceral depiction of the tragedy’s violence.
Theater Review: “Much Ado About” Sexting and Social Media
This staging of Much Ado About Nothing would make an excellent ice-breaker for a discussion between adolescents and adults about sexting
Theater Review: This “Comedy of Errors” is an Exhilarating Circus of Desperation
The intriguing notion of a down-and-out clown troupe struggling with a classic text propels this superb production.
Fuse Theater Review: CSC Stages a Zippy “Twelfth Night” on the Boston Common
There are laughs in this production of Twelfth Night, but the romantic payoffs are scarce, perhaps because the sit-com rhythms tend to swamp all else (including some of the poetry).
Fuse Theater Review: At the A.R.T., “The Tempest” is Toast
Is it the Bard or a magic show? The prestidigitation wins out given the wanness of the dramatic proceedings.
Fuse News: Two Milestones – Shakespeare’s 450th and Anthony Burgess’ 50th
“Nothing Like the Sun” remains, for my money, among the best works of fiction inspired by Shakespeare’s life.
Theater Review: Take Two — Shakespeare Plays it Safe In “Henry VIII”
If “Henry VIII” is dramatically lacking when compared to Shakespeare’s other histories, what makes this production worthwhile is the care Actors’ Shakespeare Project has brought to staging it.
Fuse Theater Review: Boston Theater Company’s “Romeo & Juliet” — A Romance Rife With Political Scandal
BTC’s experiment, while not without its faults, proffers an admirable model of the sort of creative thinking that more companies should emulate when placing Shakespearean drama in a contemporary American context.