Comments for I Can't Believe It's Not Shakespeare http://blog.icbins.com Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:37:48 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Step One: Turn Off Family Guy. Step Two: Go Write. by Karen http://blog.icbins.com/2009/05/18/step-one-turn-off-family-guy-step-two-go-write/#comment-113 Karen Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:37:48 +0000 http://icbins.wordpress.com/?p=136#comment-113 Interesting post here. Interesting post here.

]]> Comment on the actor is the instrument by Mike http://blog.icbins.com/2009/09/25/the-actor-is-the-instrument/#comment-102 Mike Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:13:46 +0000 http://blog.icbins.com/?p=684#comment-102 An actor's reading of your play is also going to be among the closest readings you have of it. Aside from you, actors can be some of your best critics, because they are the people working most intimately with the text after you distribute drafts of it. An actor’s reading of your play is also going to be among the closest readings you have of it. Aside from you, actors can be some of your best critics, because they are the people working most intimately with the text after you distribute drafts of it.

]]> Comment on Collaboration in poetry, you know, like in a play by the actor is the instrument « I Can't Believe It's Not Shakespeare http://blog.icbins.com/2009/05/22/collaboration-in-poetry-you-know-like-in-a-play/#comment-101 the actor is the instrument « I Can't Believe It's Not Shakespeare Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:00:41 +0000 http://icbins.wordpress.com/?p=142#comment-101 [...] the poetry world, before printing became widespread and affordable, poetry for the masses was primarily a spoken [...] [...] the poetry world, before printing became widespread and affordable, poetry for the masses was primarily a spoken [...]

]]> Comment on A Fresh Take on Shakespeare by Sue Welch http://blog.icbins.com/2009/08/26/a-fresh-take-on-shakespeare/#comment-94 Sue Welch Sat, 29 Aug 2009 02:25:51 +0000 http://blog.icbins.com/?p=610#comment-94 Dear Lauren, I thoroughly enjoyed your review of the play Henri VI as staged by the young Shakespearean theatre group NYNEO. However, I feel there may have been a misunderstanding regarding my motives those many years ago when I paid big bucks to take you to see the Broadway production of Julius Caesar starring Denzel Washington. I recall telling you what a great cultural and educational experience it was going to be to see Shakespeare on Broadway, but the truth was that I just wanted to see Denzel Washington up close and personal, in the flesh, wearing a Toga, bare-legged .... sorry, my mind wandered. Anyway, just so you don't get the wrong idea about your mother, when we go see the Broadway play "A Steady Rain" when I visit in October, it is because I hear it is a thought-provoking, well- written, powerful play and, the fact that it stars Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman is irrelevant and in no way influenced my decision to pay premium prices to sit up close. I swear. Love, your mother Dear Lauren, I thoroughly enjoyed your review of the play Henri VI as staged by the young Shakespearean theatre group NYNEO. However, I feel there may have been a misunderstanding regarding my motives those many years ago when I paid big bucks to take you to see the Broadway production of Julius Caesar starring Denzel Washington. I recall telling you what a great cultural and educational experience it was going to be to see Shakespeare on Broadway, but the truth was that I just wanted to see Denzel Washington up close and personal, in the flesh, wearing a Toga, bare-legged …. sorry, my mind wandered. Anyway, just so you don’t get the wrong idea about your mother, when we go see the Broadway play “A Steady Rain” when I visit in October, it is because I hear it is a thought-provoking, well- written, powerful play and, the fact that it stars Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman is irrelevant and in no way influenced my decision to pay premium prices to sit up close. I swear. Love, your mother

]]> Comment on The TONY nominations are an OUTRAGE!!!! by Actors VS. Ac-TORS « I Can't Believe It's Not Shakespeare http://blog.icbins.com/2009/05/06/the-tony-nominations-are-an-outrage/#comment-92 Actors VS. Ac-TORS « I Can't Believe It's Not Shakespeare Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:06:33 +0000 http://icbins.wordpress.com/?p=87#comment-92 [...] in a long string of Hollywood actors to tread the boards this year, including Daniel Radcliffe (my LOVE.), Tony nominated Jane Fonda and, infamously, Jeremy [...] [...] in a long string of Hollywood actors to tread the boards this year, including Daniel Radcliffe (my LOVE.), Tony nominated Jane Fonda and, infamously, Jeremy [...]

]]> Comment on A Fresh Take on Shakespeare by jraemaldonado http://blog.icbins.com/2009/08/26/a-fresh-take-on-shakespeare/#comment-91 jraemaldonado Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:40:09 +0000 http://blog.icbins.com/?p=610#comment-91 one day I'm going to disappoint you and all your trust in me will be crushed. but not on this day. one day I’m going to disappoint you and all your trust in me will be crushed.

but not on this day.

]]> Comment on Shakespeare in the Park … no not that park by college you broke my heart but now i’m over it for real « I Can’t Believe It’s Not Shakespeare http://blog.icbins.com/2009/05/11/shakespeare-in-the-park-no-not-that-park/#comment-90 college you broke my heart but now i’m over it for real « I Can’t Believe It’s Not Shakespeare Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:31:16 +0000 http://icbins.wordpress.com/?p=94#comment-90 [...] also, our pals at new york neo classical continue to be the shit.  Yesterday, i saw their workshop of Henry VI (abridged) directed by our favorite, Bill Griffin.  i love these guys.  even as it continues to evolve, Henry VI was every bit as much of a pleasure as their spring production of Measure for Measure. [...] [...] also, our pals at new york neo classical continue to be the shit.  Yesterday, i saw their workshop of Henry VI (abridged) directed by our favorite, Bill Griffin.  i love these guys.  even as it continues to evolve, Henry VI was every bit as much of a pleasure as their spring production of Measure for Measure. [...]

]]> Comment on a fear of commitment by jraemaldonado http://blog.icbins.com/2009/08/03/a-fear-of-commitment/#comment-86 jraemaldonado Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:01:03 +0000 http://blog.icbins.com/?p=578#comment-86 Well, you can call it "lack of progress" if the big consuming thing isn't worth while - which is the pandora's box no writer wants to open. "Is it actually good?" What a scary question. Well, you can call it “lack of progress” if the big consuming thing isn’t worth while – which is the pandora’s box no writer wants to open. “Is it actually good?” What a scary question.

]]> Comment on a fear of commitment by fionn999 http://blog.icbins.com/2009/08/03/a-fear-of-commitment/#comment-85 fionn999 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:59:17 +0000 http://blog.icbins.com/?p=578#comment-85 <em> I figure probably 95 per cent of why I have been discouraged with my progress on this piece has nothing to do with not feeling productive – but rather that I am disturbed that this piece has been the sole, primary focus of my heart and mind for nearly a year. Where does that come from? I got the idea somewhere along the line that as a young person I should be a certain kind of writer. I have the enormous expectation of having dozens of projects, one after the other… simultaneously — dozens and dozens of projects until damn, you can’t believe I’ve got so many projects because really – that’s a lot of projects. But this year – my first year out in the real world as a real writer – that just hasn’t been the case. </em> I think it’s a uniquely American tendency to reward multi-tasking, rapidly shifting attention, and constant business (busy-ness). There’s a growing learned instinct, I’ve noticed, particularly in people of our generation, to always be doing, always moving from one place to another, to have a hand in everything, and most of all, to produce. The rest of America wants to consume what we produce, right, so the more we make, the more can be taken in. It reminds me of a twisted and degenerate idealization of the old persona of the polyglot–the Renaissance man, who did (and mastered) just about whatever he turned his mind to. Perhaps now we have got it into our heads that we should all be polyglots, otherwise we are only limited. Save a few short stories made for classes, my novel has consumed my heart and mind for nearly five years now. Does that make me limited? Perhaps imperfect (since I’ve started over this thing three times, and soon will start it again), but I think that what I am limiting to myself is Something Big, perhaps even beyond me. And that may be what the polyglots were really after: something so big they could only understand it in a thousand different ways. Can you call it lack of progress if what you’re working on is bigger than you? Can you call your view limited if you want to try and understand what you can see through only one way? I figure probably 95 per cent of why I have been discouraged with my progress on this piece has nothing to do with not feeling productive – but rather that I am disturbed that this piece has been the sole, primary focus of my heart and mind for nearly a year. Where does that come from? I got the idea somewhere along the line that as a young person I should be a certain kind of writer. I have the enormous expectation of having dozens of projects, one after the other… simultaneously — dozens and dozens of projects until damn, you can’t believe I’ve got so many projects because really – that’s a lot of projects. But this year – my first year out in the real world as a real writer – that just hasn’t been the case.

I think it’s a uniquely American tendency to reward multi-tasking, rapidly shifting attention, and constant business (busy-ness). There’s a growing learned instinct, I’ve noticed, particularly in people of our generation, to always be doing, always moving from one place to another, to have a hand in everything, and most of all, to produce. The rest of America wants to consume what we produce, right, so the more we make, the more can be taken in.

It reminds me of a twisted and degenerate idealization of the old persona of the polyglot–the Renaissance man, who did (and mastered) just about whatever he turned his mind to. Perhaps now we have got it into our heads that we should all be polyglots, otherwise we are only limited.

Save a few short stories made for classes, my novel has consumed my heart and mind for nearly five years now. Does that make me limited? Perhaps imperfect (since I’ve started over this thing three times, and soon will start it again), but I think that what I am limiting to myself is Something Big, perhaps even beyond me. And that may be what the polyglots were really after: something so big they could only understand it in a thousand different ways.

Can you call it lack of progress if what you’re working on is bigger than you? Can you call your view limited if you want to try and understand what you can see through only one way?

]]> Comment on The Writers Room by a fear of commitment « I Can’t Believe It’s Not Shakespeare http://blog.icbins.com/2009/07/14/the-writers-room/#comment-83 a fear of commitment « I Can’t Believe It’s Not Shakespeare Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:27:29 +0000 http://blog.icbins.com/?p=560#comment-83 [...] i being a little mean to myself?  To expand on some themes Chiara touched on in her last post…  How can a young writer ever measure how successfully they are doing their job? by the [...] [...] i being a little mean to myself?  To expand on some themes Chiara touched on in her last post…  How can a young writer ever measure how successfully they are doing their job? by the [...]

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