The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 17.0832  Friday, 22 September 2006

From: 		Anne Cuneo <
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Date: 		Friday, 22 Sep 2006 12:18:12 +0200
Subject: 	Taking Shakespeare Off the Page

Being new to the SHAKSPER list and lacking experience, I realise now 
that I should have started a thread to tell my story, judging from the 
many questions I get privately, plus the questions in the list.

So, instead of answering quick mails and giving answers scattered all 
over, I beg the indulgence of the court for this once, and I start again.

In my contribution (17.0821 RSC Appeal to Educators, Sept. 20th), I 
relate the experience which is now coming to completion about 
Shakespeare, and which I thought pertinent to the discussion on how to 
avoid "spoiling" Shakespeare for students (and former students).

Two years ago, I was asked by a group of people who live in a rather 
remote valley of French Switzerland, the Joux Valley, to help them put 
up a show around Shakespeare. They wanted to bring Shakespeare to the 
people of their valley: they are peasants, shepherds, watchmakers, civil 
servants in their small villages, primary teachers, etc, people 
generally speaking who don't dwell in literature, as a rule. The valley 
is covered in snow most of the winter, and relatively isolated, and 
these people had been putting up shows for several years. They had 
tackled Tchekov, Brecht, Moli