The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 18.0385  Monday, 18 June 2007

[1] 	From: 	Tanya Gough <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
	Date: 	Friday, 15 Jun 2007 18:07:36 -0400
	Subj: 	Re: SHK 18.0379 Stratford Festival 2008 Rumour

[2] 	From: 	Virginia Byrne <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
	Date: 	Friday, 15 Jun 2007 20:02:56 EDT
	Subj: 	Re: SHK 18.0379  Stratford Festival 2008 Rumour


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		Tanya Gough <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: 		Friday, 15 Jun 2007 18:07:36 -0400
Subject: 18.0379 Stratford Festival 2008 Rumour
Comment: 	Re: SHK 18.0379 Stratford Festival 2008 Rumour

 >What is _Slings and Arrows_?  It sounds as if you are talking about a
 >series on TV somewhere -- nowhere around here (central Illinois), I 
assure you.

Slings and Arrows is a Canadian series which ran for three seasons of 6 
episodes each.  The basic plot is that the Artistic Director of the 
"fictional" (ahem) New Burbage Theatre dies unexpectedly (run over by a 
pork truck after stumbling drunk into the street one night - oh, no 
nothing to do with Stratford at all), and the helm is passed on to his 
former colleague, a daring, gorgeous, and absolutely mad actor/director 
who lost his sanity during a production of Hamlet. Basically, the series 
follows the trials and tribulations of the company trying to get their 
season up and running in spite of ego conflicts, personal entanglements 
and pressure from the business office to somehow make it all profitable. 
  It's some of the best writing around, television or otherwise.

And I quite assure you that the New Burbage Theatre has nothing to do 
with Stratford, aside from them both being located in small towns a 
short distance from Toronto, surrounded by pig farms, with a lovely 
little lake populated by swans, a world renowned Shakespeare festival at 
which the musicals are gradually and insidiously taking over, various 
ghosts, and the fact that Stephen Ouimette is doing a spot on imitation 
of Richard Monette. So you see, they're really quite different.

The season has run its course here and I believe just finished running 
on the Sundance Channel in the US.  Seasons 1 and 2 are currently on DVD 
(Region 1), and Season 3 is due early next month.  We carry all three. 
Details can be found at:

Season 1: http://www.bardcentral.com/product_info.php?products_id=1773
Season 2: http://www.bardcentral.com/product_info.php?products_id=1869
Season 3: http://www.bardcentral.com/product_info.php?products_id=1987

Cheers,
Tanya Gough
The Poor Yorick Shakespeare Catalogue
www.bardcentral.com

[Editor's Note: Slings and Arrows gets my highest commendation too. 
Since I don't watch television - no cable, no satellite, no antennae - 
what television shows I see, I watch on DVD. Not being aware that Season 
3 of Slings and Arrows had been released, when I read Tonya's post 
above, I had to interrupt editing and order it for myself. I agree with 
Tanya completely that this series has some of the most intelligent and 
engaging writing anyone will see on television. If you have not seen the 
show, you owe it to yourself to beg, borrow, or steal it. -Hardy]

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		Virginia Byrne <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: 		Friday, 15 Jun 2007 20:02:56 EDT
Subject: 18.0379  Stratford Festival 2008 Rumour
Comment: 	Re: SHK 18.0379  Stratford Festival 2008 Rumour

I just rented season one and two of SLINGS AND ARROWS from 
netflix...because of recommendations from the listserv...fabulous 
entertainment....very very in-sy theater/Shakespeare stuff.....great 
summer viewing. (Canadian TV)

_______________________________________________________________
S H A K S P E R: The Global Shakespeare Discussion List
Hardy M. Cook, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The S H A K S P E R Web Site <http://www.shaksper.net>

DISCLAIMER: Although SHAKSPER is a moderated discussion list, the 
opinions expressed on it are the sole property of the poster, and the 
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