Today is Shakespeare's 448th birthday and people around the world will be remembering our most celebrated playwright in birthday celebrations.
This year with the launch of the World Shakespeare Festival, this year's Bard birthday is extra special.
In fact, it seems almost impossible to imagine a world without Shakespeare. His influence has been pervasive - his work is central to our literary and theatrical traditions and his writing has touched our modern everyday language. I know it's a cliché, but in many ways Shakespeare still lives and breathes in our contemporary culture.
I urge you to mark the day in one way or another and wish the Bard a happy 448th! Undoubtedly, there will be some kind of event taking place in your neighborhood this week, but if you can't attend, I've put together some Shakespeare-related family activities. Why not throw your own Bard birthday bash in the comfort of your own home?
Happy birthday, Shakespeare ... and many happy returns!
Photo © NYPL Digital Gallery
Comments
To celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday, I am happy to announce that I have published adaptations of Hamlet, Richard III, and The Merchant of Venice.
I have adapted these plays in an entirely new way. The solution is to present the plays as if they are being staged for the very first time, and performed by Shakespeare himself and his company of actors.
The key is to have Shakespeare’s Elizabethan London audience react to the play — laugh at what’s funny, cry when it’s sad, and heckle the actors whenever they feel like it — which unlocks the meaning of the play, by providing us with a translation of what is being performed.
Please visit my blog to learn more.
Cheers!
Please also visit my Facebook page Shakespeare Solved
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