Vote on a Play for Litnet's Youtube Shakespeare Theatre!

[Janine]

Oh la la! What a scrumptious idea!

I voted Othello. I'm taking an intro to Shakespeare class right now (the professor has dubbed it "baby Shakespeare"), and we were placed into groups, and each group was assigned a play to do a presentation on. What did my group get? Othello.



And I was put with some awesome people; one of the more unique things we'll be featuring in our presentation is our very own sock puppet production of Othello.

Ultimately, if Othello wins, I'm in. Romeo & Juliet is good for me too. And I'd be more inclined to do a more comedic representation of the play, rather than a serious one.

Othello is one of my alltime favorite plays of the Bard. To be honest with you, I didn't think of voting for it. Wish now I had considered it....oh well... In your production who is playing Iago? Hope it is you! He steals the show, of course! hummm...Dory...a puppet show, too...interesting idea. Who will make the puppets?

End note: I think that whatever play we do it will turn out to be the comedic version! ...but then again, you never know...maybe the best Shakespeare play ever produced!

[Dori]

Othello is one of my alltime favorite plays of the Bard. To be honest with you, I didn't think of voting for it. Wish now I had considered it....oh well... In your production who is playing Iago? Hope it is you! He steals the show, of course! hummm...Dory...a puppet show, too...interesting idea. Who will make the puppets?

End note: I think that whatever play we do it will turn out to be the comedic version! ...but then again, you never know...maybe the best Shakespeare play ever produced!

Othello is my favorite Shakespearean play, which was why I was overjoyed at having been randomly assigned to the group that was presenting it. As for the puppet show, I think my presentation group will be making the puppets together (it's me and 4 girls ), and I'm not sure as to who will be playing whom...

Iago would be fun though.

[DanielBenoit]

Omg, this is off-topic but, where in upstate New York do you live?

[Dori]

Omg, this is off-topic but, where in upstate New York do you live?

I go to SUNY Geneseo, so south of Rochester.

[DanielBenoit]

End note: I think that whatever play we do it will turn out to be the comedic version! ...but then again, you never know...maybe the best Shakespeare play ever produced!

lol, in dreams. . . ..

I already have some ideas in my head for the look and feel of plays like Hamlet or Macbeth, like the lighting and camera angles and such. But since all actors will be working in isolation with their own cameras, I'll just make suggestions when the time comes.

[Janine]

Othello is my favorite Shakespearean play, which was why I was overjoyed at having been randomly assigned to the group that was presenting it. As for the puppet show, I think my presentation group will be making the puppets together (it's me and 4 girls ), and I'm not sure as to who will be playing whom...

Iago would be fun though.

I love the play, too, but then I got interested in it seeing Kenneth Branagh play Iago in the Parker film; you can check out clips on Youtube. Ever see it, Dori? Even though it's somewhat cut for this movie version, I think it's a good production and another one of Branagh's fine performances. I think the cast is all around great in that version.

I also listened to an audio production and read the play myself. It's a terrific thriller of a play in my opinion. 'Good' Iago is such a great part. I hope you get a shot at it, Dori.

lol, in dreams. . . ..

I already have some ideas in my head for the look and feel of plays like Hamlet or Macbeth, like the lighting and camera angles and such. But since all actors will be working in isolation with their own cameras, I'll just make suggestions when the time comes.

Yeah...dream on, right? I am not sure we will make it to the Golden Globes or the Oscars. If we do happen to do Hamlet, you must see some clips from that film I mentioned. It might give you some lighting ideas. It's all shot in b/w. What I actually think might prove interesting about our production is if it has diversity with an international cast of players. Now that would bring us closer together and it would make it an worthwhile endeaver - saying the language of Shakespeare is an international language indeed.

[NickAdams]

I was thinking of picking something less popular, but this might be an opportunity to do Hamlet in full. I'll think about it a bit longer.

[Nightshade]

Or if you dont have enough players why dont you just do a single act or scence or whatever.

[NickAdams]

I'll audition if we need more players.

[Dori]

We could do abridged versions, like the Reduced Shakespeare Company.

[NickAdams]

I've decided on Hamlet, because I would like to see how we pull of the finale and what we do for the play within the play.

[DanielBenoit]

We could do abridged versions, like the Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Or if you dont have enough players why dont you just do a single act or scence or whatever.

Maybe, but I'm feeling too ambitious right now to do abridgments. If we are going to pull off a full play (like Hamlet, which is well over four hours in running length) we must realize that it will be a long and continuous process.

Of course we can always do some trimming here and there in scenes that we find irrelevant. I suppose, depending on the play chosen, we will have to make another thread for only volunteers to vote, on whether or not we should abridge the play. That is, if it's something like Comedy of Errors, it's so short, we won't even bother.

I'll audition if we need more players.

Thank you! This means a lot.

Maybe what we can do, is that we can play multiple parts, if it comes to having only a few volunteers. But I'm remaining optimistic

I've decided on Hamlet, because I would like to see how we pull of the finale and what we do for the play within the play.

I know!

We could have it as a video that we are all watching. So what we do, is watch the youtube video that has Mousetrap.

But if we end up doing a modern interpritation of the play, I do not want it to be like that Ethan Hawke version. I want the modernity to be very subtle. But that's only if we do Hamlet.

By the way, we've got to make sure that we don't pick a play with a character with unique physical appearences, like Falstaff in Henry IV

[Janine]

Personally, DanielB, I hate that Ethan Hawke version with a passion; so that is just fine with me! Anything is eons better than that film! I will comment more later on on whatever else you posted. Have to go to my library right now.

[Janine]

Maybe, but I'm feeling too ambitious right now to do abridgments. If we are going to pull off a full play (like Hamlet, which is well over four hours in running length) we must realize that it will be a long and continuous process.

Understandable; we would need an editor of the script. Wait a minute; if the play is 4 hours long can we really expect people to view all 4 hours worth on Youtube? I am now wondering how this will work? If we do a scene, that would probably be too short. It might be possible to do key scenes of importance. I can't think of any of the plays that are truly short.

Of course we can always do some trimming here and there in scenes that we find irrelevant. I suppose, depending on the play chosen, we will have to make another thread for only volunteers to vote, on whether or not we should abridge the play. That is, if it's something like Comedy of Errors, it's so short, we won't even bother.

Is that one really short? I never read that one so I don't know what it's about. I tried to read The Merry Wives of Windsor but it's heavy on the peasant venacular and not too easy to understand or read. I would take that fact to consideration. I thought Hamlet a little more easy to comprehend..that is why I voted accordingly.

Maybe what we can do, is that we can play multiple parts, if it comes to having only a few volunteers. But I'm remaining optimistic

That seems like a good plan...

We could have it as a video that we are all watching. So what we do, is watch the youtube video that has Mousetrap.

I don't get that. What is the Youtube video of

Mousetrap?

I know that's the play in the play of Ha

mlet,

but I don't get what you mean here.

But if we end up doing a modern interpritation of the play, I do not want it to be like that Ethan Hawke version. I want the modernity to be very subtle. But that's only if we do Hamlet.

Like I said already, I am not for the modern interpretation. I think it looses too much in the language and poetry.

By the way, we've got to make sure that we don't pick a play with a character with unique physical appearences, like Falstaff in Henry IV

I know; we would have to look for a drunk with a heavy build and a heavy local accent to play Falstaff. That would be a bit difficult.

[DanielBenoit]

Understandable; we would need an editor of the script. Wait a minute; if the play is 4 hours long can we really expect people to view all 4 hours worth on Youtube? I am now wondering how this will work? If we do a scene, that would probably be too short. It might be possible to do key scenes of importance. I can't think of any of the plays that are truly short.

I suppose I'll be the scritp editor. But since this is a sensitive subject for all, we can have a small vote on our club disscusion page concerning the final copy.

Is that one really short? I never read that one so I don't know what it's about.

Well a full running time is usually two hours. Though it is one of the Bard's more amature works and by no mean compares to Midsummer Night's Dream or Much Ado.

I don't get that..

A video, already edited by Nick, of Mousetrap.