The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 9.0054  Friday, 16 January 1998.

From:           Bruce Fenton <
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 >
Date:           Wednesday, 14 Jan 1998 07:49:31 EST
Subject:        Modern adaptations with new text

In the late 1980s (?) there was a modern film adaptation of The Tempest
starring Molly Ringwald with modernized text and some story
adaptations.  There was also a movie called My Own Private Idaho which
had many similarities and some themes and a small amount of original
text from Henry IV.  Does anyone know of any other of these types of
adaptations?  Are any very good?

I didn't find the above two very thrilling but I'm interested if there
is a well done version of such a thing.  I don't mean as a way of
presenting the plays (I think modern versions can do fine without
changing the text) but as spin-offs- separate adaptations - the way that
Apocalypse Now was based on Heart of Darkness or the way some of
Shakespeare's plays were based on other earlier works.

Thoughts?

-Bruce Fenton
www.atlanticfinancial.com