Not sure if we can plunder this for ideas, as Terry suggests, but the recent
passing of Lynn Redgrave made me think of "Shakespeare For My Father," which
I was lucky enough to see in Chicago in 1994. I liked it very much. As you
may know, Redgrave used Shakespeare to mediate her feelings about her
father, about redemption, about resolution, and about love. And of course
there was plenty of comedy in there too. It made me wonder if there was an
affordable copy of the play on Alibris or another of the used-book sites.
Later today, I hope to put together a short summary of the plays we've
mentioned so far as serious candidates for scenes.
--m
Terry, my thoughts are with you!
--Mike
On Tue, May 4, 2010 at 6:30 AM, <tlgalloway(a)aol.com> wrote:
> Hey guys,
>
> I'm headed for surgery in just two hours. Yikes. Love you.
>
> Have many thoughts about the scenes --love the idea of putting together
> Shakespeare proper with popular culture takes offs (Brush Up Your
> Shakespeare, etc ).
>
> It could be such a fun, surprising show!
>
> What are other musical numbers or non musical plays and movies in
> popular culture that evoke Shakespeare? Let's plunder them for material!
>
> Love, Terry
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bruce Meyer <Bruce.Meyer(a)UTSouthwestern.edu>
> To: rpees(a)AkinGump.com; mnemonic(a)gmail.com; JACKSON(a)rjackson.com
> Cc: TLGalloway(a)aol.com; maggie(a)bizaffairs.com; jayres(a)cvctx.com;
> alicegordon(a)earthlink.net; churwic(a)gmail.com; skippytodd(a)gmail.com;
> dzieglersf(a)hotmail.com; susan_g_todd(a)hotmail.com; kozusko(a)mac.com;
> jsuhler(a)mail.smu.edu; cstromberger(a)mail.utexas.edu; joyandthomas(a)msn.com;
> madge(a)rudemechs.com; kathrynblackbird(a)sbcglobal.net;
> g.mcdonald(a)soton.ac.uk; michael_barker(a)spe.sony.com; larsbeck(a)swbell.net;
> stan(a)texashealingarts.com; mmcollins50(a)yahoo.com
> Sent: Mon, May 3, 2010 8:45 pm
> Subject: Re: Some more scene ideas
>
> Bob
> Wow! Have you been waiting for this for years? I can barely yank myself out of
> work mode to contemplate playing and here you are with 3 hours of scenes
> readimade. Damn, i already feel the full inadequacy of my pathetic
> preparation.... Oh well, chalk it up to another typical winedale experience.
> Meanwhile, can i plead for a little JOY (the emotion not the comrade) and
> sillliness - will try to come up with something more than the interlude from MND
> Yours in embarrasment
> Bruce
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Pees, Robert" <rpees(a)AkinGump.com>
> Cc: tlgalloway(a)aol.com <tlgalloway(a)aol.com>
> Cc: maggie(a)bizaffairs.com <maggie(a)bizaffairs.com>
> Cc: jayres(a)cvctx.com <jayres(a)cvctx.com>
> Cc: alicegordon(a)earthlink.net <alicegordon(a)earthlink.net>
> Cc: churwic(a)gmail.com <churwic(a)gmail.com>
> To: mnemonic(a)gmail.com <mnemonic(a)gmail.com>
> Cc: skippytodd(a)gmail.com <skippytodd(a)gmail.com>
> Cc: dzieglersf(a)hotmail.com <dzieglersf(a)hotmail.com>
> Cc: susan_g_todd(a)hotmail.com <susan_g_todd(a)hotmail.com>
> Cc: kozusko(a)mac.com <kozusko(a)mac.com>
> Cc: jsuhler(a)mail.smu.edu <jsuhler(a)mail.smu.edu>
> Cc: cstromberger(a)mail.utexas.edu <cstromberger(a)mail.utexas.edu>
> Cc: joyandthomas(a)msn.com <joyandthomas(a)msn.com>
> To: Robert Jackson <JACKSON(a)rjackson.com>
> Cc: madge(a)rudemechs.com <madge(a)rudemechs.com>
> Cc: kathrynblackbird(a)sbcglobal.net <kathrynblackbird(a)sbcglobal.net>
> Cc: g.mcdonald(a)soton.ac.uk <g.mcdonald(a)soton.ac.uk>
> Cc: michael_barker(a)spe.sony.com <michael_barker(a)spe.sony.com>
> Cc: larsbeck(a)swbell.net <larsbeck(a)swbell.net>
> Cc: stan(a)texashealingarts.com <stan(a)texashealingarts.com>
> Cc: Bruce Meyer <Bruce.Meyer(a)UTSouthwestern.edu>
> Cc: mmcollins50(a)yahoo.com <mmcollins50(a)yahoo.com>
>
> Sent: 5/3/2010 2:59:18 PM
> Subject: Some more scene ideas
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> Here are some additional ideas for scenes. For what it's worth, I am fine with
> fan favorites as well as more obscure gems.
>
> A few ideas for possible opening scenes
>
> 1. Hamlet III, ii. Hamlet's advice to the players. Perhaps an effective way
> to swell an opening scene with our entire crew of patches. ( Just fyi, the act,
> scene and line numbers in this email refer to the Riverside Shakespeare, Second
> Edition.)
>
> 2. Sonnet 30 ("When to the sessions of sweet silent thought/I summon up
> remembrance of things past,..."), a fitting poem for a reunion.
>
> 3. Henry V Prologue (Might be interesting to somehow marry the "Muse of Fire"
> speech with James Loehlin's traditional no-smoking injunction at the beginning
> of a performance; perhaps the Chorus could get busted for lighting a cigarette)
>
> Revenge and Cruelty
>
> 4. 3 Henry VI, I.iv.. This scene is to Shakespeare what a mechanical shark was
> to Steven Spielberg-it's an early-career stroke of genius with more than a hint
> of sensationalism. Richard Duke of York is ensnared by adversaries led by the
> powerful Queen Margaret, who mockingly coronates him with a paper crown. Before
> his brutal execution, York delivers a number of choice insults, including the
> line "O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!" This is a truly great scene
> that remains relatively little known.
>
> 5. Titus Andronicus, II, iv.. Enter the Goth empress's sons, Chiron and
> Demetrius, ridiculing Lavinia, whom they had just mutilated and raped. Exeunt
> Chiron and Demetrius and enter Lavinia's uncle Marcus. His speech upon seeing
> his niece is a real challenge for any actor.
>
> Love
>
> 6. Othello, I.iii. 60-169. Confronted by an angry Brabantio, who claims that
> his daughter was seduced by sorcery, Othello explains how he won the love of
> Desdemona: "She lov'd me for the dangers I had pass'd,/And I lov'd her that she
> did pity them./This only is the witchcraft I have us'd."
>
> 7. Romeo and Juliet , III.ii, 1-31. Juliet delivers her ecstatically
> passionate soliloquy "Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds" A great speech.
> Though the soliloquy stands on its own, the next 111 lines also feature a
> remarkable exchange between Juliet and the Nurse, who shares with Juliet the
> news of Tybalt's death and Romeo's banishment.
>
> 8. Sonnets 40, 116, 130, 138 or any of a number of others.
>
> Jealousy
>
> 9. Antony and Cleopatra, II, v. A messenger from Rome reports to Cleopatra
> that Antony has married Octavia. Cleopatra's reaction is befitting a woman who
> is never, never, never, never, never off-stage. I think this scene has much
> comic potential.
>
> 10. The Winter's Tale, II., iii. Holding Queen Hermione's infant son, her
> loyal friend Paulina confronts King Leontes, who, blinded by jealousy, refuses
> to acknowledge the child as his: "This brat is none of mine,..."
>
> 11. Othello, III, iii. Famous scene where Iago plants and carefully
> cultivates the seeds of jealousy in Othello's mind.
>
> 12. Sonnets 138, 142 and others
>
> Treachery and Lechery
>
> 13. Cymbeline, II, ii. The villain Iachimo smuggles himself into Imogen's
> bed-chamber via a trunk. Short scene but highly dramatic.
>
> 14. Measure for Measure, II, iv. The powerful Angelo will spare a nun's
> brother...in exchange for her virginity.
>
> Drinking and Carousing
>
> 15. Antony and Cleopatra, II, vii. Drunken Romans, geopolitics, a Bacchanalian
> song and dance-what could be better?
>
> 16. Any of a half-dozen scenes featuring Falstaff
>
> 17. The Tempest scenes with Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo (the task here would
> be to make the scenes, as Terry Galloway suggests, new and fresh rather than
> recycled; the Toby,/Clown/Aguecheek noisemaking scene in Twelfth Night also
> falls into this category)
>
> 18. The Porter scene in the Scottish Play
>
> Time
>
> 19. The theme of time seems appropriate for a 40th Anniversary reunion. A
> number of scenes in Richard II, The Winter's Tale, and other plays emphasize
> Time, and dozens of the Sonnets also play with the theme. And multiple scenes
> in Lear deal with age. Finally, let's not forget the fat knight's "ill white
> hairs" described by King Henry in 2 Henry IV (it would be great to have the
> banishment speech included!).
>
> A few ideas for possible closing scenes
>
> 20. The Epilogue to Henry VIII. ("All the expected good w' are like to
> hear/For this play at this time, is only in/The merciful construction of good
> women,..." is a line that could be a tribute to those six who have in this
> process acquired the collective shorthand title of the "gals')
>
> 21. The Epilogue to The Tempest ("Now my charms are all o'erthrown"), or
> Prospero's speech after the pageant ("Our revels now are ended"). A bit
> predictable but crowd favorites for good reasons.
>
> 22. A bawdy jig.
>
> And I suspect that we could also just throw darts at random pages of Hamlet and
> Lear and identify more great scenes. My list above also doesn't harvest enough
> from the great comedies.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Bob
>
>
>
>
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>
Funnily enough, Alice, I clearly remember working with Bruce on Benedick's
"the world must be peopled" speech, and don't remember "Kill Claudio" from
2005. Goes to show what happens when you've seen/done these scenes so many
times -- the experiences blur together a bit.
--Mike