Shakesnark

At the American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Conference, if you run over your presentation time limit, a bear comes out and very politely ushers you off the stage. It’s pretty much the best thing ever. My new life goal is to go to the Blackfriars conference, deliver a talk that is exactly one minute over my time limit, and get a hug from the Blackfriars bear.

A video posted by American Shakespeare Center (@americanshakespearecenter) on Oct 30, 2015 at 3:27pm PDT

And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered - We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition; And gentlemen in England now-a-bed Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

Happy St Crispin’s Day!

Celebrate with our first cocktail, the Henry V. Kept in colours of St George’s Cross or, alternatively, hinting at the blood about to be shed, it’s sure to rouse you to passion just like Harry’s speeches. ;-)

Ingredients:

Lots of ice cubes and crushed ice

About a dozen frozen raspberries

Double-shot of Bacardi Razz 

Tonic water

Raspberry syrup

Preparation:

Once started this game with Shakespeare quotes on twitter. #literallyShakespeare

A Stick-Figure Macbeth: Dramatis Personae | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

This is possibly my favorite scene in Macbeth. We don’t get to see the murder of Duncan, onstage, but Macbeth’s totally unhinged reaction makes the offstage murder that much more harrowing. This is a hardened veteran of many battles who started the play literally splitting someone open, and he’s totally freaked out by what he’s just done.

The “sleep no more” speech is great too. Here it is:

Methought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep’, the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleeve of care, The death of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, Chief nourisher in life’s feast,– Still it cried 'Sleep no more!’ to all the house: 'Glamis hath murder’d sleep, and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more.’

It’s a really good idea to memorize it, and then recite over and over in your head on those long, dark nights when you’re having trouble getting to sleep.

…sorry, did I say that was a good idea? That’s a bad idea. Don’t do that.

lady macbeth at her lady macbest

lady macbeth makes a joke

lady macbeth making a lady macjest 

lady macbeth can’t sleep

lady macbeth needs her lady macrest 

lady macbeth dies

Cons of being a groundling: You actually believe you are part of the play.

wtf

that’s fair

not again