No reason

[james_davis_nicoll]

[Poll #1488447]

Comments

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

To me, Shakespeare's comedies are only mildly funny (if at all) today, but the tragedies are still extremely powerful. I don't know if Shakespeare was just better at tragedy, or if it's because comedy ages worse over 400 years.

[keithmm.livejournal.com]

Well, there is a lot of the dirty humor and snarky contemporary commentary which doesn't translate well. But the humor can come through with a little tweaking of of acting and setting.

Many years ago now I saw a Stratford production of The Taming of the Shrew. Bianca was played as a blonde bimbo, complete with Marilyn Monroe white dress and hairstyle, and the funniest scene had her tied to a chair while Kate started pulling the legs off her favourite teddy bear, each limb removal accompanied by a dismayed shriek from Bianca.