Would the Bard Have Survived the Web?

There is an interesting op-ed piece in The New York Times today about whether or not Shakespeare would be as popular in a world where internet piracy, eBooks, and file sharing are as common place as status updates.

As we start our journey with King Lear in the next unit, I'd like to hear your thoughts on Shakespeare. Does he deserve the popularity he has earned as an influential poet and dramatist? Do you think another Shakespeare is possible in a world where writing and internet communication have become accessible to everyone and not just the "learned"? Are there any contemporary authors (think 20th and 21st century) that could earn a place alongside Shakespeare and other well-known writers of literary history? A little 'food for thought' as we set sail for the kingdom of Lear.

I'd like to see a response from each of you before next Thursday, February 24. We'll be launching into Lear then and I'd like to get a feel for your views on Shakespeare and his influence.

Welcome Back!

It was great to see your smiling faces this morning! Hope you had a wonderful first day of your senior year!!

I forgot to mention an exciting Shakespeare opportunity in our own backyard. This week, a performance of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream will be performed at Notre Dame's Washington Hall by the Actors from the London Stage - a professional acting company from London. The performances are Wednesday - Friday, September 8-10. I was thinking about heading down for the Thursday performance since there is a home football game on Friday. The performance is at 7:30 and we will carpool from BHS. If you are interested, please let me know ASAP so I can order tickets. Reply to this post or email me at sconklin@bridgmanschools.com  Student tickets are $12.

For more information about the performance, click on the post title above to be directed to the play's web page.

See you in class on Wednesday!

Last call for Lear

If you are interested in attending the Thursday, September 10, performance of "King Lear" at Notre Dame's Washington Hall, please let me know by TOMORROW, Tuesday, September 1. I will need to order the tickets this week to ensure that we will be able to sit together. You are more than welcome to order tickets on your own - just know they will probably be in a different seating section.

Click on the posting title above to be directed to the "King Lear" website. Enjoy your last week of summer and let me know via blog post or email if you plan on attending this performance.

Happy reading!

King Lear is coming!

Good morning...

I hope you had a great weekend despite the rain on Saturday. I had the good fortune of seeing "Twelfth Night" at Notre Dame on Saturday and the performance was FANTASTIC! I've been attending the Shakespeare performances at Notre Dame for a few years now and I would have to say this is the best one they have done. Very entertaining!

And there's more Shakespeare excitement to come! From September 9-11, actors from The London Stage will be performing "King Lear," which just happens to be on our AP reading list. I was thinking about attending the Thursday, September 10 performance and wanted to put feelers out to see who would be interested in attending. Click on the title "King Lear is coming" at the top of this post to be directed to the link for the play.

Student tickets are $12 and the performance is 2 hours and 30 minutes and begins at 7:30 PM. It would be a little late for a school night, so please check with your parents first. We'd get back to Bridgman a bit after 11 PM.

The timing of this is really perfect! It isn't often a live Shakespeare performance links up with a play being covered in a course, but we are in luck! Please let me know ASAP if you are in and I will call to get the tickets ordered. I'd like to call this week or early next week to be sure we can get good seats, so let me know.

I hope your reading continues to go well - don't forget you need to finish the second book by September 8, when we head back to school. Enjoy these last two precious weeks of summer and let me know if you are interested in attending the Thursday, September 10 performance of "King Lear"