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Monkeys are smart. Though they haven't created cars or trains or weapon, they are educated through simplicity. They flourish on what they have, and if something doesn't work, they don't give up, but they evolve to overcome it. Like monkeys, Shakespeare had no thesaurus, no dictionary, no laptop and no editor. But when he came to a spot where he was at loss for words, he made up his own words. Through practice, perseverance and certainly trial and error, he created works that will last forever.

I am a 13 year old kid who is trying to read and attend live performances of all 37 Shakespeare plays (plus 3 possible collaborations) in 2 years. This is a record of my experiences.

I am now a 19 year old college freshmen at Northwestern University, pursuing a degree in Theatre. The spark of love for Shakespeare that began this blog has grown into a roaring fire. That fire burns a little bit brighter each day. This is where it all began.


PLAY COUNT: 40

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Marjorie Garber

           The opportunity seldom arises for one to attend a lecture given by one of the most respected Shakespeare scholars of her generation. In Marjorie Garber’s ‘Dreams in Shakespeare’ she expresses her perspective on the role of dreams in the Bard’s works. She had five actors perform 10 relevant scenes from 6 of Shakespeare’s plays while she provided commentary. She guided members of the audience to analyze the significance of each scene for themself. Her insights highlighted recurring themes in plays which, upon first glance, seem to have no similarities. Connecting Richard III to A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Antony and Cleopatra to The Tempest makes one think outside the lines of Comedy, Tragedy and History, and delve into depths of the realms of waking and sleeping… and dreaming.

                
           Though Garber is not a particularly charismatic speaker, her material is outstanding. Not only does she have incredible all around knowledge of the literature, but she finds hidden meanings in the text which are not only fascinating but insightful. You watch the scene and drawyour own conclusions, but then when she speaks, realize how much deeper the scene is than you ever imagined. In Richard the Third, she said that Edward wrongly distrusted his brother, who he saw in a dream. This is a commonly known fact. But then in Antony and Cleopatra, Antony has a dreamlike vision which causes him to mistrust Cleopatra. Or from how Leontes describes his long lost wife in A Winter’s Tale to how in Pericles, the King of Tyre. They both have been seperated from their wives for quite a while, but have had connections with them through dreams. These ties are caught by Garber’s keen ability. They made her lecture and eye-opening experience, providing a different perspective on Shakespeare’s fascination with dreams.