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Shakespeare by the numbers...
Nov. 4th, 2011 10:07 pmWas thinking about this today, after reading a review by NPR of the current tv season where they stated that we all know that there are no new stories and people just redo the same ones over and over...
True and not true. Yes, similar tropes or archetypes get revisited. But there is a difference between say doing another remake of Pride and Prejudice or Shakespeare or Dicken's Christmas Carol or It's A Wonderful Life - and using themes or archetypes in those tales and spinning a different tale entirely. It's sort of the difference between rebooting Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and well doing True Blood, the Vampire Diaries or Rachel Morgan - Bounty Hunter. Or for another example? The difference between rebooting or remaking Forever Knight, and doing Angel.
( Read more... )
Also was thinking of a few writers who have been overdone. To the point in which you wonder if it's a right of passage or something to perform or do a version of this writer's work? In regards to Shakespeare? I always thought the great Shakespearean actors: Olivier, Gielgud, Stewart, Wells, and Brannagh went a bit overboard - I think they've done five plays each as films and theater productions. But no one beats Derek Jacobi, who I think did them all. LOL!
As a former English Major, and theater geek, I can say that I've seen and done my fair share of it. Performed, watched, and recited more Shakespeare than I can list.
(Plays I've seen? ( Read more... )
Out of curiousity, I decided to see just how many ways people have adapted and/or filmed Shakespeare plays and which ones. Is it really as many as I think? I was admittedly surprised - since it turned out to be more. Hint? Much Ado has actually been filmed four times, even more than that on tv, and has several musical interpretations as well as having a Klingon version (yes, someone translated and performed it in Klingon.) But Romeo & Juliet has everyone beat with 48 film versions in multiple languages, I swear they filmed it once a year. As does Hamlet - which has the most adaptations. When they say everyone does Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet, they aren't kidding.
According to Wiki? Hollywood has made over 250 films based on Shakespeare's Plays. This is not counting television productions, loose adaptations such as 10 Things I Hate About You, or
A Thousand Acres nor is it counting ballets and musicals such as West Side Story.
( a few examples - Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, MacBeth, Much Ado, Corinalaus, and Romeo & Juliet. )
It blew my mind how many times some of these plays have been done. I don't think anyone has had their work performed and adapted more than Shakespeare. There's clearly something about Shakespeare that has a universal appeal which transcends both time and language. Personally, I have quibbles, there aren't that many good women's roles in Shakespeare. The few good female roles are either women posing as men, or in the tragedies. The best role may be Lady Macbeth. Part of the reason for this was back then, women weren't permitted to perform on stage. It's a very male dominated group of plays. So..again why the focus?
True and not true. Yes, similar tropes or archetypes get revisited. But there is a difference between say doing another remake of Pride and Prejudice or Shakespeare or Dicken's Christmas Carol or It's A Wonderful Life - and using themes or archetypes in those tales and spinning a different tale entirely. It's sort of the difference between rebooting Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and well doing True Blood, the Vampire Diaries or Rachel Morgan - Bounty Hunter. Or for another example? The difference between rebooting or remaking Forever Knight, and doing Angel.
( Read more... )
Also was thinking of a few writers who have been overdone. To the point in which you wonder if it's a right of passage or something to perform or do a version of this writer's work? In regards to Shakespeare? I always thought the great Shakespearean actors: Olivier, Gielgud, Stewart, Wells, and Brannagh went a bit overboard - I think they've done five plays each as films and theater productions. But no one beats Derek Jacobi, who I think did them all. LOL!
As a former English Major, and theater geek, I can say that I've seen and done my fair share of it. Performed, watched, and recited more Shakespeare than I can list.
(Plays I've seen? ( Read more... )
Out of curiousity, I decided to see just how many ways people have adapted and/or filmed Shakespeare plays and which ones. Is it really as many as I think? I was admittedly surprised - since it turned out to be more. Hint? Much Ado has actually been filmed four times, even more than that on tv, and has several musical interpretations as well as having a Klingon version (yes, someone translated and performed it in Klingon.) But Romeo & Juliet has everyone beat with 48 film versions in multiple languages, I swear they filmed it once a year. As does Hamlet - which has the most adaptations. When they say everyone does Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet, they aren't kidding.
According to Wiki? Hollywood has made over 250 films based on Shakespeare's Plays. This is not counting television productions, loose adaptations such as 10 Things I Hate About You, or
A Thousand Acres nor is it counting ballets and musicals such as West Side Story.
( a few examples - Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, MacBeth, Much Ado, Corinalaus, and Romeo & Juliet. )
It blew my mind how many times some of these plays have been done. I don't think anyone has had their work performed and adapted more than Shakespeare. There's clearly something about Shakespeare that has a universal appeal which transcends both time and language. Personally, I have quibbles, there aren't that many good women's roles in Shakespeare. The few good female roles are either women posing as men, or in the tragedies. The best role may be Lady Macbeth. Part of the reason for this was back then, women weren't permitted to perform on stage. It's a very male dominated group of plays. So..again why the focus?