Theatre has always been a part of my life. I love plays – the magic, the mystery, the drama! I studied theatre years ago and worked as a professional actor. But, I’m no expert. I think to be a full fledged actor you must live and breathe it. The lifestyle is all encompassing. It’s not just sitting in trendy cafes drinking lattes and smoking herbal cigarettes – although I’ve been there. It’s my friend Blair, a nomad, travelling from theatre to theatre, wearing many hats. He is an actor, and he is very good at his craft. You wouldn’t even know his name. Real actors, real artists, do it because it is in their blood, and because they have something to give. It is their calling. Blair has been an actor for many years at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-On-The-Lake. When he’s not there, he is somewhere else, doing commercials or voice-overs. His telephone number changes frequently but somehow I always know where he is. Recently Blair thought he might like to audition for the Stratford Festival – Shakespeare. He loves the Bard and he knows him well. But, I guess something else came up. There are always conflicts when you are an actor. You can’t do it all. To my point; we study Shakespeare because it is an art form we can learn from. And it’s not easy, but nothing so intricate and meaningful is ever easy. Shakespeare is a language unto itself. It is a way of seeing the world by way of captivating entertainment. Never a dull moment when there are swords and ghosts involved. Hamlet is read and studied by so many because it has it all. Young love, old mystery, suspicion, intrigue, a ghost, madness and murder. Some action films today don’t have all that. So a play like Hamlet must be read carefully and with fervour, carefully tasting each line. It takes work to savour brilliance. Eat up and enjoy!
-
Recent Comments
nbirchbayley on Trifles nbirchbayley on Alas Shakespeare nbirchbayley on Thoughts on Wheat Kings as… Sheri Astorino on Jesus nbirchbayley on Jesus
I admire you for enjoying and recognizing the beauty and brilliance of Shakespeare … that it is full of action, of ghosts, madness and murder, and probably far more deserving of recognition than the action plots that sadly flood our theatres today. Shakespeare did not need special effects, though I’m sure they certainly were incorporated. His plot did all of the mesmorizing that loud and flashy scenes might do otherwise. Overall, I think Shakespeare is most successful in outlining endless degrees of human emotion – jealousy, love, playfulness, intrigue, violence and anger… the list is endless, much like his list of plays and writings… And the beauty about human emotion, these themes that are present in Shakespeare’s plays… they are so universal, they are never-changing and always present in plot… Therefore, his themes will always live no and move readers, audience members, students of Shakespeare. I can’t wait to start Hamlet!