The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 10.1013  Wednesday, 16 June 1999.

[1]     From:   Terri Mategrano <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
        Date:   Tuesday, 15 Jun 1999 13:34:00 EDT
        Subj:   Re: SHK 10.0991 Re: Q1 Hamlet Productions

[2]     From:   Andy White <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
        Date:   Tuesday, 15 Jun 1999 10:39:50 -0400
        Subj:   Q1 Hamlet Productions


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Andy White <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Tuesday, 15 Jun 1999 10:39:50 -0400
Subject:        Q1 Hamlet Productions

Someone asked about the authors of Q1 -- I'd refer them to
Granville-Barker's Preface, in which he argues that Q1 was written by
bit players.  His evidence is that their memory of lines seems to go in
and out, with some scenes seemingly drawn verbatim from what became Q2
(they played Marcellus or Bernardo, for instance) and other scenes
appallingly reconstructed from conjecture.

G-B's reading of Q1 was interesting:  to him, Q1 provides evidence that
even bit players (presumably given "sides" for rehearsal) ended up
learning all the lines from their scenes by heart.  He also noted that,
mangled line readings aside, Q1 offers a different order of scenes from
Q2 and Folio, so in that sense at least offers a more primitive version
of the play.

Reconstructing the early version of Hamlet from Q1, therefore, might
involve combining Q1 with later versions (where the memory of lines is
below par), but preserving the order of scenes indicated.

Andy White
Arlington, VA

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Terri Mategrano <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Tuesday, 15 Jun 1999 13:34:00 EDT
Subject: 10.0991 Re: Q1 Hamlet Productions
Comment:        Re: SHK 10.0991 Re: Q1 Hamlet Productions

Thanks to all of you who were kind enough to provide information on Q1
Hamlet productions. If any of you hear of any productions planned for
the future, please keep me (and Daniel Traister) in mind and post them
on the list.

Again, many thanks,
Terri Mategrano

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