Confessions of a Bard Lover

Ask anyone who knows me whether I like Shakespeare and most would say, “Uh, yeah, she loves him.” In fact, some may even be reminded of the creepy girl from the film 10 Things I Hate About You (a re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew) who says, “Shakespeare and I are involved.”  Because, oh yeah, we are involved…and have been for many years.

Our relationship, however, was not always a pleasant one. 

I first became aware of the works of William Shakespeare in High School.  Forced to read both Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar as a freshman, I sincerely hated the dude and his plays.  Why on earth was I being subjected to such torture?  All those thees and thous?  All that old-timey language?  The jokes or references that I couldn’t understand?  CURSE YOU, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE!

It wasn’t until I started performing bits of Shakespeare’s plays that I understood what all the fuss was about.  After all, Shakespeare’s plays were never meant to be just read or studied in a classroom.  Rather, they were meant to be performed, watched or even heard--something which some modern educators seems to have forgotten.  

The first monologue I ever performed was of the Nurse from Romeo and Juliet.  I still remember it, actually (and often perform it for students).  Performed as part of a local Shakespeare Acting Competition, I received an Honorable Mention and a special invitation to perform in a Los Angeles showcase.  From then on, I was hooked!  Ol’ Bill and I were in love. 

My love affair with Shakespeare continued throughout my adult life, when I began performing at various Renaissance Faires.  A wild journey, that one, which involved travelling around Southern and Central California with a ragtag band of actors (including my father!).  My favorite experience with the troupe was in Ojai, CA when we performed Taming of the Shrew (my favorite Shakespeare play, incidentally) and then were fed in payment.  The meal was eaten at a table in the middle of the festival in plain view of the Faire-goers.  I remember flinging food, laughing raucously and wiping my mouth on my sleeve and apron.  To this day, there are still stains on my Faire clothes (because, of course, I still wear them) from that meal.  

I have since been involved with at least 20 Shakespeare shows, including two compilation shows (which I also wrote and directed), five different versions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and two productions of Much Ado About Nothing (one of which I directed).  Currently, I am also an instructor and actor (and sometimes director or costumer) for the local Shakespeare festival.  During the school year, I go into various schools in the area and teach students Shakespeare from an actor's point of view. Everything I do is in the hopes that someday, somehow, others will have an appreciation for Shakespeare as I do.  

Here's to you, William Shakespeare!  It may be 450 years after your birth, but you're still a part of my life.  What can I say, I like older men.  

Ha ha.  

Till next I blog once more, my fairest readers, I bid thee farewell....

**Written in celebration of Shakespeare's birth (and death) day.  Happy Birthday, Bill!**


Fun Facts About William Shakespeare:

Society assumes that William Shakespeare was April 23, 1564.  Because records are not clear, we don’t actually know what day he was born.  He was, however, baptized April 26, 1564.  It was common practice to wait three days after the birth to perform the baptism. 

He died on his birthday at the age of 52 (April 23, 1616).  This was considered “old age” during the Renaissance Era, the period of time during which he lived.  Most people died when they were in their 30s or 40s, which wouldn't have bode well for me.  

   

Shakespeare often wrote his plays based on what actors were in his troupe.  This explains the many different archetypes that exist.  Additionally, his actors often played multiple roles in the same play.  This allegedly is why characters may inexplicably disappear from a storyline.  We still see this practice with many modern filmmakers who reuse the same actors over and over.  

    

It was illegal for women to appear onstage as actors until the 1660s (almost 50 years after Shakespeare’s death). With female roles therefore played by young boys or men, this could explain why there are so few female characters (or why many of the female characters disguise themselves as boys).  This also explains why I have mostly male characters on my Shakespeare resume and a rather large collection of false mustaches.  

Some scholars consider the works of William Shakespeare to have been written by someone else (or by a variety of people).  I don't happen to subscribe to this, but then I still believe that Pluto is a planet.  You can make up your own mind.