The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 17.0069  Sunday, 26 February 2006

[1] 	From: 	Stuart Hampton-Reeves <
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	Date: 	Monday, 20 Feb 2006 15:27:58 +0000
	Subj: 	Re: SHK 17.0054 Least Performed Play?

[2] 	From: 	Peter Holland <
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	Date: 	Monday, 20 Feb 2006 12:28:29 -0500
	Subj: 	Re: SHK 17.0054 Least Performed Play?

[3] 	From: 	Paul E. Doniger <
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	Date: 	Monday, 20 Feb 2006 09:32:39 -0800 (PST)
	Subj: 	Re: SHK 17.0054 Least Performed Play?

[4] 	From: 	David Evett <
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	Date: 	Monday, 20 Feb 2006 23:39:36 -0500
	Subj: 	Re: SHK 17.0054 Least Performed Play?

[5] 	From: 	Carol Morley <
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	Date: 	Saturday, 25 Feb 2006 14:14:12 +0000
	Subj: 	RE: SHK 17.0054 Least Performed Play?


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		Stuart Hampton-Reeves <
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Date: 		Monday, 20 Feb 2006 15:27:58 +0000
Subject: 17.0054 Least Performed Play?
Comment: 	Re: SHK 17.0054 Least Performed Play?

I'd say the Henry VI plays are still contenders for this title, in that 
performances of their *full* texts (even with the normal pruning that 
occurs with any theatrical performance) are very rare. Most stagings 
conflate them into one or two plays.

Stuart Hampton-Reeves

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		Peter Holland <
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Date: 		Monday, 20 Feb 2006 12:28:29 -0500
Subject: 17.0054 Least Performed Play?
Comment: 	Re: SHK 17.0054 Least Performed Play?

One way of testing this is to use the excellent Touchstone website run 
by Jim Shaw of the Shakespeare Institute Library ( 
http://www.touchstone.bham.ac.uk/performance.html) where the Traffic of 
the Stage section will allow you to check on UK professional productions 
since 1996 - then start counting!

[3]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		Paul E. Doniger <
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Date: 		Monday, 20 Feb 2006 09:32:39 -0800 (PST)
Subject: 17.0054 Least Performed Play?
Comment: 	Re: SHK 17.0054 Least Performed Play?

My guess would be the newly canonized Edward III, but only because of 
its recent status.

Paul E. Doniger

[4]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		David Evett <
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Date: 		Monday, 20 Feb 2006 23:39:36 -0500
Subject: 17.0054 Least Performed Play?
Comment: 	Re: SHK 17.0054 Least Performed Play?

In my experience, the answer has to be *Two Noble Kinsmen,* with *Two 
Gentlemen of Verona* in second (or second to last) place. At the 
Stratford Festival in Canada, where most of the plays have received 
multiple productions, *TNK* was done for the very first time during the 
50th anniversary season in 2002. It was the first time I've had a chance 
to see it on the stage in many decades of fairly assiduous 
theater-going. *King John* has received several productions there, and 
it was done to considerable applause last summer by Shakespeare and Company.

David Evett

[5]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		Carol Morley <
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Date: 		Saturday, 25 Feb 2006 14:14:12 +0000
Subject: 17.0054 Least Performed Play?
Comment: 	RE: SHK 17.0054 Least Performed Play?

We'd need more specific criteria to come up with, I'm sure variable 
answers. Over all time? Across the globe? Professionally or otherwise?

In my life as an audience (in Britain, since the late 70s) I've seen 3 
Cymbelines, 3 Pericles (one amateur), 2 King Johns and only one Timon.

Given the resourcefulness of various directors in conflating the Henry 
VI plays into two parts, perhaps the least performed play as written, 
these days, would therefore be either 1 or 2 Henry VI. (Shakespeare 
himself would no doubt be surprised at the success of his 'Edward IV'.)

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