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| Hong Kong, a former British colony, has been staging and teaching Shakespeare plays for nearly 150 years. In this episode from our Shakespeare Unlimited podcast, we learn how Shakespeare is stretched to tell a story of contemporary Hong Kong and colonialism in two important adaptations of Romeo and Juliet. Then, in the 1980s, we see a local tradition of performing Shakespeare plays beginning to merge with another art form—opera. | | |
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| "Shakespeare must be singled out by one who wishes to learn the full powers of the English language.” Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and the man we most closely associate with the Declaration of Independence, visited Shakespeare's home in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1786 with John Adams. According to Abigail Adams, Jefferson kissed the ground upon reaching Stratford. | | |
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| Today we take for granted the proliferation of outdoor Shakespeare festivals each summer. But how did they come to exist? The American tradition of staging Shakespeare outdoors has a rich history. Open air Shakespeare performances became very popular in the late 19th century, and attending these festivals has continued as a beloved seasonal pastime for many today. | | |
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"Cinematic art direction and special effects, however cunning, cannot adequately substitute for the very different kind of magic that actors can create out of the tension of being live on stage," writes Geoffrey O'Brien for The New York Review of Books. A movie version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Julie Taymor, has recently arrived in theaters, and O'Brien takes the opportunity to reflect on the play's mystery and darkness.
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| "Tofu or not tofu—that is the question." Enjoy these hilarious Yelp reviews written by William Shakespeare. How many stars will he give each restaurant? And how are your skills for picking out the references to well-known lines from Shakespeare plays in his reviews? "But soft! boiled egg, though I order'd fried." | | |
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