Theatre Australia

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Is Shakespeare "as boring as bat shit "?

Sun, 9 Nov 2008, 10:00 pm
stinger102 posts in thread
When I was in high school and Shakespeare was compulsory, I used to love the stories (plenty of sex and violence) but hated the language. Why could he have not said the same thing in plain and simple words? And why should we Aussies have to learn about old Pommie poets anyway? When I was at uni in the 70s, I had a small part in the scottish play. I had one long speech to remember. It was most daunting, until it was pointed out to me that it was written in iambic pentameter, so that once the actor got into the rhythm, the actual words just seemed to flow. As I matured, I began to appreciate the whole canon more and more. I realised that Shakespeare had contibuted more to the development of the English language than any other single person (with the possible exception of Chaucer). Moreover, it was not only great literature, but if you could tap into the language, it was great theatre as well. Nowadays, it stikes me that any theatre actor worth his or her salt has done, and yearns to do more Shakespeare, as an important aspect of their artistic development. Not only that, but the plays never seem to lose their audience appeal. Finally, I regard myself as a devotee of Australian dramatic works and historical narratives. I value our national heritage to the point of jingoism. Having said that, I regard Shakespeare as just as much a part of our heritage as Britain's. I therefore categorically disagree with the above proposition.

Veto-Ed

Thu, 13 Nov 2008, 12:23 pm
>>I was always taught that as the editor, you can suggest changes, but ultimately the writer has veto power. Tell that to any journalist. Or film scriptwriter. Or newly-published novelist. And really, why should a playwright be more precious, when that medium more than any (well, on a par with film) is a collaborative process? It would surely be a rare writer who can afford to be so secure as to insist on veto power. Or if they do, it's a rarer one again who's work is beyond improvement from outside eyes. Yes, many of them play writer/editor/dramaturg rolled into one, but if the roles are split for a reason, I would think the point would be to give them more power than mere consultancy. Your model assumes a hierarchy with writer at the top of the ladder, passing it down to consultants who pass it back to the writer at the top until the work is finished...a piece of text. I view it more as a horizontal timeline, where the work itself is what's important, and everyone passing it along contributes their skills at any stage until it gets to its final destination...a performance for an audience. Feel free to edit me. and enjoy the feeling of power...! Cheers, Craig ~<8>-/====\---------

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