The Shakespeare for Writers lecture tonight consisted of spending the second half of the class proving that Mercutio is homosexual beyond any shadow of a doubt, through use of Queen Mab, subtext, and likely intended staging, and then using this revelation to show character motivation in the fight with Tybalt.
Ie, why does Mercutio attack Tybalt? Because he thinks Romeo is making passes at him.
This is why I go to college, right?
Did Tisch 48 this weekend, which was crazy. I haven't got a copy of our completed film yet, but here's a copy of our promo poster that my friend/teammate sent me. I'll post a link to our movie as soon as I get it. :)
The Tempest is easily my favorite Shakespeare play. Scholars call it "A problem play" - it's not a history, and it's not clearly a comedy or a tragedy. It also isn't, as it is commonly remembered, his "final play" - That would be Two Noble Kinsmen, written in collaboration with John Fletcher. However, it was the last play Shakespeare wrote on his own and I won't contest the trailer's claim that it is his "final masterpiece." I haven't actually read Henry VIII or Two Noble Kinsmen, but I would presume it's better than both of them. So sure. Why not. Final masterpiece it is.
At first I was worried about the casting - Hellen Mirren as Prospero? (Sorry, Prospera in this version.) Djimon Honsou as Caliban? (He's a terrific actor whose primary strengths are roaring in a most manly fashion and being shirtless, but isn't that a bit racist? Granted he's been painted gray, so I guess you can't say Caliban is black so much as he's played by a black actor.) Russel Brand? Alfred Molina? But I think the trailer's almost won me over. Julie Taymore, I was hoping you'd bring the same wacky sense of magical realism to this as you did Across the Universe, and this has my hopes up!
Also, is that Sigur Ros at the end of the trailer?
Oh, apparently it's Saeglopur. (I love Sigur Ros.) :)
The Tempest hits theaters December 10th, 2010. I can't wait!
