Shakespeare Electronic Conference, Vol. 4, No. 821.  Friday, 19 November 1993.
 
From:           John Massa <
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Date:           Friday, 19 Nov 93 09:24 CST
Subject: 4.0816  The Ghost in *Hamlet*
Comment:        Re: SHK 4.0816  The Ghost in *Hamlet*
 
I would appreciate hearing from those who have seen or produced "Pericles" on
the staging of the tournament scene, where the "knights" and Pericles fight and
Pericles emerges victorious.  I would specifically like comments on:
 
          (1) humorous/slapstick combat vs. deadly realistic fighting
 
          (2) onstage fighting vs. offstage fighting (with sound effects).
 
A production at the Guthrie in Minneapolis, MN (USA) a couple of years ago used
the "offstage" approach with a generally humorous treatment of the fighting and
outcome. The humorous approach makes sense in light of the banquet which
follows (i.e., they all can't be mortally wounded and then show up at the
banquet) but a "darker" version of the combat, which emphasizes Pericles' skill
in emerging victorious, would also work.
 
What have you seen, and what did you think of it?
 
          John Massa
 
          The University of Iowa
          Iowa City, Iowa  USA
          
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