By MARSHA MERCER
It’s finally 2020, and impeachment, presidential politics and the
election threaten to drown us in a sea of negativity.
I like covering and writing about politics, but for the New Year,
I’m carving out part of each week for a respite from the day-to-day unpleasantness.
In the spirit of new beginnings and hope, I’ve resolved to do something
in 2020 I’ve long wanted to do: read Shakespeare’s complete works.
Well, wait. To be honest, I’ve long wanted to have read all
of Shakespeare. The actual reading got off to a bad start. I read “Julius
Caesar” under duress in high school.
I’m embarrassed to admit it’s possible to navigate through college
and earn a master’s degree in English from a well-respected university in
Charlottesville without taking a course on Shakespeare.
This, I soon recognized, was a mistake, a self-imposed gap in my
education. On my first trip to England in my 20s, I made a pilgrimage to
Stratford-on-Avon and brought home a book of the sonnets.
I’ve come to enjoy Shakespeare and have sought out the experience
of seeing his plays performed onstage. I’ve read the plays to enhance my
theater-going.
So, when a friend mentioned on Facebook the Shakespeare 2020
Project, reading all of the Bard, I was intrigued.
Shakespeare 2020 is a public reading group with no fees, rules,
tests or grades. There’s a reading list and a schedule you can download onto
your calendar. You can read as many, or as few, of the works as you wish.
Folger Shakespeare Library digital editions of the plays are
available to read or download free. Those who prefer to hold paper
copies can find the Folger or other versions of the plays at their library or
online. There’s no definitive version of the plays, although it helps to have
notes that explain antiquated language and references.
With Shakespeare 2020, there’s no pressure – except the nagging
that comes from within. But in these early, hopeful days of the year, I feel positive
and almost confident.
This surely isn’t one of those flashes in my resolutions pan – like
writing in my journal for 30 minutes every morning (2019), making pies from
scratch (2017) or learning Italian (2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 . . . ).
I signed up for the Shakespeare 2020 emails (no more than two per
week, the group’s founder promised) which provide background materials, videos
and other reading aids. I joined the Facebook page and have begun reading.
First up: “Twelfth Night.” We will read about a play a week, with the
sonnets and other works sprinkled through December.
Several friends also decided to give it a go. In all, more than 2,100
people have signed up for the emails, and 1,600 have joined the Facebook group.
It is heartening to be part of such an enthusiastic gathering. People
post pictures of themselves reading, sometimes with their dogs, and video clips
of their favorite scenes from stage performances. One man recited the Hamlet soliloquy
in front of his bathroom mirror. Others write about youthful interactions with Shakespeare
gone wrong.
I have no illusions reading all of Shakespeare will be easy. When I
first settled down with “Twelfth Night,” I fell asleep on three occasions. I
found I needed to start earlier, remain upright and drink coffee; then I was
fine.
And, although this project is reading, it also helps to see the
play in performance.
My public library in Alexandria participates in the Kanopy video streaming
service, and with a library card, patrons can watch four movies a month free. This
is a wonderful resource, since among Kanopy’s offerings are BBC productions of
Shakespeare’s plays.
Kanopy also operates in many colleges and universities. Or you can also
find the plays and university lectures on YouTube.
Our next challenge is the long slog through the history, “Henry VI,
Parts One, Two and Three.” That will be a test of stamina and caffeine.
I invite you to join Shakespeare 2020. If Shakespeare isn’t your
thing, I hope you’ll find something new this year to transport you out of the
daily grind. I’ll let you know how Shakespeare goes, and I’d love to hear from
you.
Happy New Year!
©2020 All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment