ENGL 78

Dr. A. Eastwood

Topics for Essay 3: Production Analysis

Directions: Research two stage productions (performed in the past 10 years) of any play we have studied in this class. To get information on stage productions, you should look at journals or publications devoted to theatre review.  Some examples are

Shakespeare Bulletin

Shakespeare Newsletter

Theatre Review

Camden New Journal

You might also look at newspaper reviews.  The New York Times or the Los Angeles Times are good sources.  You want a review that goes into some depth about the performance, so avoid papers with smaller circulations like the Mercury.. 

Your essays (1.5-2 pages, single spaced) should describe the production concepts and compare them.  Then, decide which production you think is the most successful of the two.  Evaluate the productions as interpretations of Shakespeare’s play.  Did the production enhance something in Shakespeare’s playtext that worked well for its modern audience, or do you believe the director took undue liberties with Shakespeare’s play?  Either way, your evaluation needs to spring from your expertise about the play itself, and your informed discussion of its themes and possibilities, and whether the director’s interpretation was true to these.

DUE IN CLASS ON  December 8^th