The play’s the thing…
Nov 12th, 2009 by lapazfarm
Because I don’t want to leave that last post up and look like I am begging for votes (I’m really not) and because the blog has been relatively quiet lately, I thought I’d post a little about what we are up to.
Mostly we have been on a Shakespeare kick. WHY??? No idea really, but who’s complaining, right? Anyway, we have been having tons of fun reading several versions and watching DVD’s of quite a few plays.
In addition to reading some plays in the original language, we are enjoying this classic plain-language version as well:
Tales from Shakespeare (Yesterday’s Classics)
(which you can also download as a FREE audio or text file from here.)
But the biggest hit by far have been the DVD’s. The kids are eating these up!!! And Netflix has been supplying us with loads of DVD’s, both in the mail and from their “Watch Instantly” collection. (Is everyone as in love with this option as me???) I think their appeal is because the movies are more like how the plays are meant to be experienced than reading the text. They are, after all, plays, not novels. The live action helps tremendously.
Biggest DVD hits so far have been Othello (with Laurence Fishburne as Othello and my absolute favorite Kenneth Branaugh as Iago ) , Hamlet (with Mel Gibson), Midsummer Night’s Dream (the one with Michelle Pfieffer as Titania), Romeo+Juliet (With Leo DiCaprio and Clare Danes) and As You Like It (version set in Medieval Japan!).
Oh, the joy of hearing my son crack up as he finds and replays his favorite scenes from Hamlet on YouTube.
Superboy’s favorite line: “Words. Words. Words.” Cracks him up every time.
Less well received were Twelfth Night , which was too long and boring says Superboy, though JBug enjoyed it (“I KNEW IT!!!” she pumps her fist and triumphantly exclaims when Sebastian falls for Olivia) and two thumbs down for The Shakespeare Animated Tales (cheesy old-school animation).
Next up are some of my favorites: Richard the Third, and Much Ado About Nothing (with my main man Kenneth) and The Merchant of Venice with (a fantastic version with Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes! WOW! What a cast!!!). I can’t wait to share these gems with the kiddos!!!!
So, that is what we are up to, along with a lot of other stuff of the decidedly less high brow variety:
but since this post is long enough…
~~How about a fun quiz?~~
Name that play! And for *bonus points*, name the character!
JBug’s favorite Shakespearean line: “And I am for no woman!”
First one to answer correctly wins!
*points are worthless
*bonus points are even more worthless
Edited to add (because someone asked): JBug was not allowed to watch the movie versions of Othello or Romeo+Juliet due to nudity/sexual content. She had to make do with the cartoon versions only of those two. I also covered her eyes during one brief scene in Midsummer Nights Dream. The other movies were fine for her, though we were all a little grossed out by mother and son kissing on the mouth in Hamlet. LOL! I had to explain it as an archaic cultural thing which would not be acceptable in today’s culture, but apparently was back then. I suppose.
Ooooh, I’ve never even thought of youtube clips!!
We read Hamlet the other day…. I’ll have to check that out for Trev!
Nice!!
12th Night, right?
You should definitely check out Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V. My favorite Shakespeare film adaptation.
Nope, not 12th Night. Try again!
Oh,and Henry V is definitely in the queue, how could I forget!?!
Oh! Ya’ll are so going to love that version of Much Ado! Marianna replays and replays one of the garden scenes till she cannot breathe for laughing so hard!
Have you watched the Reduced Shakespeare Company’s Complete Works yet? It’s rowdy and irreverent but loads of fun. (You might want to preview first; not sure how appropriate for J-Bug’s age it would be.)
Hope you’re all doing well! Keep up the posts- we love reading them!
Lis, Pete (Jack &Tuck, too)
My first thought was also 12th Night, but As You Like It quickly popped into my head. Just making a moderately educated guess.
Yes, Modgirl and I LOVE that one. Hilarious!
Hi Lis!!!! I have seen that play live and thought it was GREAT! It is in our queue but I am waiting to show it to the kids until we watch the full versions so they will actually “get it.” That one is enjoyed so much more when you recognize the plays they are condensing, you know?
Say hi to Pete!
Yay! You got the play. It is “As You Like it”! Ten points for you, Lindsay!!!
Anyone care to go for the bonus points???
Have you compared mel gibson’s Hamlet to Kenneth’s? There are lots of Branagh fans here, and we like his better.
Love your blog, and hope you do well in the voting!!!
GREAT idea! I’m always willing to watch KB myself, and since Hamlet was such a hit I don’t think Superboy would mind seeing another version. Thanks for the idea!
My first year teaching lower el students I had heard that they really got into Shakespeare, so I purposed to introduce them to the Bard. What I didn’t realize was that the plays that the teachers spoke of their classes doing were very truncated paraphrases.
Yes they loved Shakespeare. (It all started with Hamlet on a rainy day.) In the end we memorized and produced a insanely challenging scene – the play with-in the play – in full costume and the uppers helped out with set, sound and lighting. The kids also did other scenes they liked – Ophelia going mad, Hamlet’s suicidal thoughts, King Lear’s daughters pleading their love, etc. It was fun, but I never want to do it again.
That was the year the family visited DC for the Alzheimer’s association and went to see Richard III. When AV outgrows his “I smile and murder whilst I smile” T-shirt, I don’t know what I will do. (There is a great alternate universe WWII style versions of it that Superboy would love.) http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3441990656/tt0114279
Last year I took the class to Atlanta where we saw Romeo and Juliet. Of course we read it before – all of it; watched it; and learned the famous lines for Grammar.
As and adult only recommendation – Titus with Anthony Hopkins.
PDQ Bach has a song about Shakespeare – famous line set to modern music. http://www.schickele.com/
As long as you’re doing Shakespeare and have done Hamlet – add in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. It’s a favorite around these parts.
Thanks for all of your recommendations… and letting us know which ones might not be suitable for little eyes. We’ve been doing some Shakespeare lately, too, and this post and the comments you’ve received will be helpful!
Thanks for the Shakespear link. We are planning a visit to his birth place soon and I want to do some not too streching back ground work. This is great.
We’ve also been to watch Midsummers Night Dream acted by children so the “rudey” bits were slightly altered. It was fantastic.