Author Archives: scottr15

Will the Real Shakespeare Please Stand Up?

Posted on May 12, 2014 by scottr15

This morning, our class went on a walking tour of Shakespeare sites around London led by a Declan McHugh.  Mr. McHugh was a great guide; he obviously knew a great deal about the Bard and the period in which he … Continue reading →

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William Shakespeare’s The Shining: Titus Andronicus as an Exploration of Insanity

Posted on May 11, 2014 by scottr15

The Globe’s recent production of Titus Andronicus, a story already full of betrayal, murder, and cannibalism, presents a particularly bloody version of the play, but it was one small moment in the (relatively) quiet first scene that has stuck with … Continue reading →

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The Empire Strikes

Posted on May 10, 2014 by scottr15

London is famous for its excellent museums, and rightly so.  I’ve only been to a few of the whopping 240 in the city, and they have been uniformly impressive.  But with all due respect to the Museum of Childhood and … Continue reading →

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There is a Light That Never Goes Out

Posted on May 5, 2014 by scottr15

I’ve seen a lot of fascinating places this Spring Term, including Shakespeare’s birthplace, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the bazaars of Brick Lane, but nothing has left me at a loss for words like Westminster Abbey did today.  Though … Continue reading →

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Breakfast at Arden’s

Posted on May 4, 2014 by scottr15

When one goes to see a play written in the late sixteenth century about a murder which occurred even earlier, one might not expect to see damning critiques of contemporary capitalistic culture, but Polly Findlay’s Arden of Faversham nonetheless contains … Continue reading →

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If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.

Posted on May 2, 2014 by scottr15

Perusing through Julian Curry’s Shakespeare on Stage, I was struck by a particularly brilliant interview with Kevin Spacey regarding his interpretation of Richard II, in which the actor provided some absolutely brilliant insights into the character and detailed the modern-dress … Continue reading →

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What is a youth? Impetuous fire.

Posted on April 28, 2014 by scottr15

The first part of Henry IV has traditionally been viewed as a coming-of-age story, and so it is unsurprising to see Gregory Doran’s production for the Royal Shakespeare Company focuses heavily on motifs of maturation.  In a pleasantly surprising twist, … Continue reading →

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The Long and Wondrous Afterlife of William Shakespeare

Posted on April 26, 2014 by scottr15

We ran into Shakespeare’s ghost today.  While exploring the town-wide celebrations of Shakespeare’s 450th birthday, we saw the Bard, chalk-white from head to toe, float by.  We got some photographic evidence of the encounter and then he drifted off.  But … Continue reading →

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Relics and the Bard

Posted on April 25, 2014 by scottr15

Before beginning my Spring Term class in Stratford-upon-Avon, I spent a few days in London with my family, and while there we visited the Victoria and Albert Museum.  Though my expectations were low, the V&A blew me away with how … Continue reading →

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