Measure for Measure + Dido and Aeneas: A Shakespeare-opera mash-up from 1699 takes the stage

September 27, 2016 | By Shakespeare & Beyond Sometimes characterized as a “problem play,” Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure was first performed in the early 1600’s and was printed in the 1623 First Folio where it is listed as a comedy. During the Restoration, many of Shakespeare’s plays were adapted to suit the times, and Measure is no exception. Playwrights deleted problematic characters, moral…

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How Napa Became the World’s Stage

June 22, 2016 Napa Valley Register: In an interview with the Register, NapaShakes artistic director Laura Rafaty explains the backstory of bringing the world premiere of “Measure + Dido” to the Napa Valley Editor’s note: NapaShakes has been bringing some impressive names into Napa Valley, presenting performances by Shakespeare’s London Globe…

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“Boldness Be My Friend”: An Essay on Cymbeline by members of New York’s Fiasco Theater

An essay from the book “Living With Shakespeare,” entitled “Boldness Be My Friend,” written by Jessie Austrian, Noah Brody, and Ben Steinfeld of New York’s Fiasco Theater “Cymbeline is often thought of as a problematic play. Or a bad play. Or a just plain silly piece of theatrical meringue. It shifts…

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The Jig is Up!

Why Shakespeare Always Left ’em Dancing! The cast of the Globe Theatre’s Richard II led by Mark Rylance ends an evening of tragic history on the BBC with a rousing traditional dance: Audience members who’ve enjoyed our Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre productions, both live and onscreen, have noticed the actors ending the evening…

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