Shakin' Up Shakespeare

Poor Shakespeare. He gets a bum rap. Students' eyes often glaze over at the thought of reading one of his 400 year-old plays. Adults skip attending theatrical performances of his work because (to paraphrase Shirley MacLaine in Steel Magnolias), why go to the theatre when you can nap at home for free?

Fortunately, there are plenty of artists and educators who not only understand Shakespeare, they understand how to keep his work relative and (more importantly) interesting to modern audiences. 

Theatre directors choose to reinvigorate Shakespeare's work in a variety of ways. Sometimes they set his plays in a time period other than Elizabethan England. (An example of this technique is a wonderful movie version of Richard III that's set during World War I.) Chicago Shakespeare Theatre caters to young attention spans with their Short Shakespeare Series for students, and CST regularly collaborates with the Q Brothers whose hip hop takes on Shakespeare are lots of fun for teens and adults.

Another spin on introducing the Bard to reluctant readers and audience members is using Shakespeare's work as inspiration for entirely new plays and novels. Tom Stoppard does this brilliantly and hilariously by examining Hamlet through the eyes of two of the most minor characters in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. (There's a fun movie version of it starring Gary Oldman and Tim Roth.)

Shakespeare is the inspiration for some great work for teens in particular. After Juliet is a lovely script that focuses on what happens to the other young Capulets and Montagues after Romeo and Juliet die.

Likewise, The Shakespeare Stealer series uses Shakespeare's Globe Theatre as a starting point for a new tale. It's a trilogy of novels about a young boy who inadvertently joins the Lord Chamberlain's Men, a famous Elizabethan acting troupe. Gary Blackwood's books are wonderful tools for introducing young readers to Shakespeare's work. The plots move quickly while sneaking in some all important educational material about history and literature.

Not surprisingly, The Shakespeare Stealer was adapted into a play which my students are working on right now. Much like the novels, the play moves along quickly with plenty of excitement to keep audience members' attention. Although the characters are from a different time and place, their struggles are relatable to today's students. 

We are about a week away from opening The Shakespeare Stealer, and I have yet to see anyone sleeping through a rehearsal despite having watched the scenes a million times. It's a pretty safe bet that this engaging production is well worth your time and money. There will be plenty of time for napping later.

To reserve tickets to The Shakespeare Stealer or any other productions at The Theatre of Western Springs, call 708-246-3380 or visit www.theatreofwesternsprings.com