Shake It Up, Bisques!

Here's the thing. I'm pretty certain knowing y'alls some o' that Shakey - that ol' Bard of Straford on Avon - will always serve you in some way, particularly in the entertainment industry. In screenwriting, it can bring you round to that oh, so coveted "same but different" screenplay, it is rife with characters and situations you can steal borrow, and isn't it just good to know where shit came from? Plus, most of the country isn't up on it's Troilus and Cressida, so as long as you aren't writing another Romeo and Juliet you're probably fine. No, strike that, there's a new Romeo and Juliet spin constantly. Besides, his stuff is just an awfully good place for reminders of basic story plots. Like the Star Crossed Lovers™ .

In theater, the other world I hang out in, knowing Shakespeare has its own merits. For one, you're pretty much expected to know his stuff. For two, someone is always producing a Shakespeare play because it is free - no licensing to pay. For three, Shake will always be used in comparisons in analysis and stuff. For four, ... I had something but then I edited the above paragraph and forgot. Nice one Aleks.

So, I've a mission. It's one I've given myself every year for the last 3 or so but this time hopefully I'll actually do it: I want to read all of Shakespeare's works.

Need some convincing to do it yourself? Here's a list, not even all inclusive, of modern retellings of Shakespeare as well as just plain old film adaptations. Also included, a few work arounds of Shakespeare, like hanging out with the minor characters. See? It's not only Kenneth Branagh doin' it.

- A Midsummer Night's Dream - Get Over It; A Midsummer Night's Dream
- Taming of the Shrew - 10 Things I Hate About You; Kiss Me Kate
- The Tempest - The Tempest (2010) - supposedly going to have a film released this year, directed by Julie Taymor, starring Helen Mirren and a dozen other celebs.
- Twelfth Night -  She's the Man; Just One Of The Guys;  Motocrossed
- Much Ado About Nothing - Much Ado About Nothing
- Love's Labours Lost - Love's Labours Lost
- Hamlet - The Bad Sleep Well; Hamlet 2000; Strange Brew; Ophelia; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
- Macbeth - Scotland, PA; Macbeth (2006)(2009)

- Othello - "O"; Omkara

- Romeo and Juliet - Beneath the 12-Mile Reef; West Side Story; High School Musical; Romeo + Juliet; David & Fatima; China Girl; Tromeo and Juliet; West Bank Story
- Titus Andronicus - Titus
- Henry IV, part I, part II, Henry V  - My Own Private Idaho
- Richard III - Richard III (1995)(2008) 

And all this down here? This is stuff of which I haven't heard of film versions for. So go ahead and DO IT. Change the historical characters, go ahead. My Own Private Idaho did. Also deserving a quick mention, Shakespeare in Love, winner of a bunch of Oscars including Best Original Screenplay and Picture. You think this was written without knowing all about Shakey? Not Likely. Anyway, back to the list of plays not made into movies (that I know of).

 

All's Well That Ends Well

As You Like It

The Comedy of Errors

Cymbeline

Measure for Measure

The Merry Wives of Windsor 

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Winter's Tale

Pericles, Prince of Tyre

Troilus and Cressida 

Henry VI, part I

Henry VI, part II

Henry VI, part III

Henry VIII

King John

Richard II

Timon of Athens

Julius Ceasar

King Lear

Antony and Cleopatra 

Coriolanus

If you're wondering, I've only read 9 of these, plus about half of the sonnets. Do I have extra points for randomly having a few sonnets memorized, as well as about half of the balcony scene in R&J? No? Alright.

BTW - pic courtesy of Married to the Sea, I have the webcomic in the sidebar somewhere.