Introduce Yourself Here!

[ConnieAnnKirk]

Welcome, Benedict!

I'm glad to hear you're willing to consider other viewpoints that might differ with your "entrenched" opinions.  That's what makes for lively discussions here in the book clubs!  You'll soon see that we're having some of those here already--even before we've gotten to Julius Caesar!  Enjoy!

~ConnieK

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Benedict wrote:
Hi,

I’ve read Julius Caesar so many times myself, and haven’t had an avenue to discuss it with others.  I have my entrenched opinions, and am looking forward to hearing other points of view.

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[dstell915]

Hello!

This is my first time joining a book club and cannot wait for it to start.  I love reading Shakespeare especially Hamlet and of course Romeo & Juliet.  I have never read Julius Caesar (and its been a while since I've read any Shakespeare) so I hope I can keep up will you Shakespearean enthusiasts!  Well, nice to meet all of you.  I'm sure you will hear (or read) plenty of my thoughts and opinions on various topics.

[ConnieAnnKirk]

Welcome, dstell915!

Happy to have you aboard!  You certainly don't need to be an expert in Shakespeare to be a member of the club.  We welcome all readers.  I'll look forward to reading your comments about the play, which we start discussing in September.

~ConnieK

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dstell915 wrote:

Hello!

This is my first time joining a book club and cannot wait for it to start.  I love reading Shakespeare especially Hamlet and of course Romeo & Juliet.  I have never read Julius Caesar (and its been a while since I've read any Shakespeare) so I hope I can keep up will you Shakespearean enthusiasts!  Well, nice to meet all of you.  I'm sure you will hear (or read) plenty of my thoughts and opinions on various topics.

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[friery]

Welcome aboard, ConnieK.  It's excellent news that the Shakespeare board has been revived.

I was a participant in the old BNU discussions.  I'm a bit of a Shakespeare junkie.  My life goal is to study and see performed all of the plays, and I'm about 2/3 of the way there.

Last performance attended:  Merry Wives of Windsor a couple of weeks ago at the Old Globe in San Diego.

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ConnieK wrote:

Hello, Readers!

BN.com is reinvigorating the Shakespeare Book Club, and as the new moderator of the club, I'd like to hear from you.

Please use this thread to introduce yourself to me and the group.  What is your interest in Shakespeare?  What is your background in the bard? Are you a new reader?  An aficionado?  Involved in dramatic productions of the plays?  A dedicated reader still confused by the language?  Someone who adores Shakespeare's sonnets?  Let us know!

~ConnieK

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[ConnieAnnKirk]

Thanks, friery!

You'll see that the Shakespeare board is indeed alive.  I hope you'll join in!  Glad to have someone on board from the old "BNU" days, like myself!

~ConnieK

[HPlover7]

Heys everyone!! im only 15 years old, but i am in love with shakespeare! i have read a ton of his work and i am new to the shakespeare threads!!

[dogearedcopy]

I'm a B&N newbie who's looking forward to the Shakespeare group...

I majored in Theater Arts in undergrad, Medieval & Early Modern History (which covered the Tudor period) in grad school and I worked (summerstock) at The Theatre in Monmouth (ME) which is a Shakepeare rep company, The Shakepeare Theatre in Washington DC when it played at the Folger (a recreation of The Globe) and, The Washington Shakespeare Company which was actually in VIrginia. I need to clarify that I worked tech, not as an actor! Nonetheless I've seen most of The Bard's plays performed, over and over and over again...! I also used to subscribe to the Folger Consort and enjoyed a number of early and period music concerts. As a bonus round for members of the Folger, I got to take a peek at an actual portfolio! I'm currently within 12 miles of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, though, alas, they are not performing JC this season.

I have the Riverside Shakespeare, the Pelican Shakespeare, as well as a number of single play editions, but I think I'll go grab a B&N copy of Julius Caeser for the upcoming discussion as most of my books are in storage (sigh.)

dogearedcopy

[ConnieAnnKirk]

Welcome, HPlover7! 

Join in whenever you like! 

~ConnieK

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HPlover7 wrote:
Heys everyone!! im only 15 years old, but i am in love with shakespeare! i have read a ton of his work and i am new to the shakespeare threads!!

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[Everyman]

Hi, dogearedcopy (love that screen name!  describes a lot of my books.)  

I used to spend summers in Maine and our family attended the theater in Monmouth, though I don't know whether it was the same company you worked for or some other predecessor.  (But I bet I was there long before you were!)

It's nice to have a tech worker here.   While I did direct one play, most of my time in the theater has been backstage, mostly designing and running lighting but also doing all the other things that any production needs before actors and actresses can step before the audience.

I look forward to your describing some of the more memorable productions you worked on.   

[ConnieAnnKirk]

Welcome, dogearedcopy!  I think I welcomed you elsewhere on the board, but since you've posted your intro. here, I want to be sure to do it here as well.

Glad to have you with us, and I look forward to hearing your perspective!

~ConnieK

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dogearedcopy wrote:

I'm a B&N newbie who's looking forward to the Shakespeare group...

I majored in Theater Arts in undergrad, Medieval & Early Modern History (which covered the Tudor period) in grad school and I worked (summerstock) at The Theatre in Monmouth (ME) which is a Shakepeare rep company, The Shakepeare Theatre in Washington DC when it played at the Folger (a recreation of The Globe) and, The Washington Shakespeare Company which was actually in VIrginia. I need to clarify that I worked tech, not as an actor! Nonetheless I've seen most of The Bard's plays performed, over and over and over again...! I also used to subscribe to the Folger Consort and enjoyed a number of early and period music concerts. As a bonus round for members of the Folger, I got to take a peek at an actual portfolio! I'm currently within 12 miles of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, though, alas, they are not performing JC this season.

I have the Riverside Shakespeare, the Pelican Shakespeare, as well as a number of single play editions, but I think I'll go grab a B&N copy of Julius Caeser for the upcoming discussion as most of my books are in storage (sigh.)

dogearedcopy

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[dogearedcopy]

 I was at the Theatre at Monmouth in 1987, during either the last or the second to last year of Dick Sewell's reign as Artistic Director.

In my career in theater, I was primarily a lighting technician, light board operator and light designer, though if I had to wear a different had, I would!

One thing about working tech from the booth, you get to see the play 48 times (not counting rehearsals!)

Truly looking forward to when discussions begin on JC,

dogearedcopy 

[Everyman]

One thing about working tech from the booth, you get to see the play 48 times (not counting rehearsals!)

Well, yes, but our lighting board in college was totally manual (this was back in the ancient days before they had electronic boads), and I was usually so busy manipulating plugs and slides and all that I hardly had time to figure out even what the play was about! 

We had a salesman come by our local theater a year or two ago to try to sell us the lastest computer controlled electronic board.  Once you had the lighting scheme set up and programmed, during the actual shows all you really had to do was sit in the booth and punch a button at the right time to tell the computer to switch to the next change. Boring.  

There were times in the old booth where I was trying to do about eleventy-seven things simultaneously (bring down the cyce blue while bringing up the red, dim the SR Fresnel bank three,  bring up the front SL Leko bank, blues to mark three and bastard amber up to mark seven to reach those marks simultaneously, and cue the telephone ring as the lights were halfway up.  

Nothing boring about that!

[RTA]

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Everyman wrote:

Well, yes, but our lighting board in college was totally manual (this was back in the ancient days before they had electronic boads), and I was usually so busy manipulating plugs and slides and all that I hardly had time to figure out even what the play was about! 

We had a salesman come by our local theater a year or two ago to try to sell us the lastest computer controlled electronic board.  Once you had the lighting scheme set up and programmed, during the actual shows all you really had to do was sit in the booth and punch a button at the right time to tell the computer to switch to the next change. Boring.  

There were times in the old booth where I was trying to do about eleventy-seven things simultaneously (bring down the cyce blue while bringing up the red, dim the SR Fresnel bank three,  bring up the front SL Leko bank, blues to mark three and bastard amber up to mark seven to reach those marks simultaneously, and cue the telephone ring as the lights were halfway up.  

Nothing boring about that!

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Heh, we had the same type of manual board at my school, Everyman, which was switched out for the digital in my time.  And I agree wholeheartedly.  It was ever so much more exciting calling a show with the old board than with the new. 

[dogearedcopy]

While I don't go back to the day of salt water dimmers and carbon rod spot lights, I have had experience with a number of manual, electronic and computer boards. For the purposes of discussion however, I think I'll be able to contribute more about those plays for which I was actually able to pay attention to!

I've got to go now, but I'll catch you all on the flip side of this Labor day week-end!

Have a good one everyone! 

dogearedcopy 

[Choisya]

It is good to have a working technician with us DEC, especially one versed in Shakespearean productions.  Will you be able to lend your technical expertise to those of us who are discussing a particular production of MND on the 'Adaptations' thread DEC?

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dogearedcopy wrote:

 I was at the Theatre at Monmouth in 1987, during either the last or the second to last year of Dick Sewell's reign as Artistic Director.

In my career in theater, I was primarily a lighting technician, light board operator and light designer, though if I had to wear a different had, I would!

One thing about working tech from the booth, you get to see the play 48 times (not counting rehearsals!)

Truly looking forward to when discussions begin on JC,

dogearedcopy 

---

Message Edited by Choisya on 09-01-2008 04:46 AM

[avonleajane]

Hello,

  I'm excited to pop my head in and out of this thread even if I may not have time to read all of the selections.  I'm a B&N bookseller, a former English major, and an avid reader since a very young age.  I got my start on Shakespeare in 9th grade when we read Romeo & Juliet, and while I didn't really care about the romance (come on, I was their age when I read it and there was no way I could ever fall in love at first sight), what pleased me most was Shakespeare's humor and cleverness (I thought the Nurse was hilarious).  I also thought it was interesting that I seemed to understand the language better than a lot of my classmates.  I've wondered about why the language comes relatively easy to me, and I think it's because I grew up reading the King James version of the Bible.  Does anybody else with a background with the KJV find that understanding Shakespeare is easier because of your familiarity with that version, or am I just crazy? 

   In college I had an amazing Shakespeare professor who helped me to look at some of the plays in a completely different way.  It was one of my favorite classes, and I considered taking another semester of it so I could see what he would have to say about a different set of plays.  Since then I've always been excited to hear new takes on the Bard.  I'd like to be an expert on the whole "real identity of Shakespeare" issue, but there are so many books out there about it that I don't even know where to start. 

  I'm going to try to pick up Julius Caesar tomorrow at work.  I'm looking forward to it!

[Laurel]

Hi, Jane of Avonlea. Yes, I grew up with the King James Bible and Shakespeare and noticed early on the similarity of the language. The Bible is easier to read in a sense, since it uses a much smaller vocabulary than Shakespeare did, but but the background in those beautiful words made Shakespeare's English almost a native language for me.

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avonleajane wrote:

Hello,

  I'm excited to pop my head in and out of this thread even if I may not have time to read all of the selections.  I'm a B&N bookseller, a former English major, and an avid reader since a very young age.  I got my start on Shakespeare in 9th grade when we read Romeo & Juliet, and while I didn't really care about the romance (come on, I was their age when I read it and there was no way I could ever fall in love at first sight), what pleased me most was Shakespeare's humor and cleverness (I thought the Nurse was hilarious).  I also thought it was interesting that I seemed to understand the language better than a lot of my classmates.  I've wondered about why the language comes relatively easy to me, and I think it's because I grew up reading the King James version of the Bible.  Does anybody else with a background with the KJV find that understanding Shakespeare is easier because of your familiarity with that version, or am I just crazy? 

   In college I had an amazing Shakespeare professor who helped me to look at some of the plays in a completely different way.  It was one of my favorite classes, and I considered taking another semester of it so I could see what he would have to say about a different set of plays.  Since then I've always been excited to hear new takes on the Bard.  I'd like to be an expert on the whole "real identity of Shakespeare" issue, but there are so many books out there about it that I don't even know where to start. 

  I'm going to try to pick up Julius Caesar tomorrow at work.  I'm looking forward to it!

---

[Everyman]

It has been said that Lincoln was brought up on the Bible, and as an adult was never far from his Shakespeare.  So that combination is a tried and true one!

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Laurel wrote:

Hi, Jane of Avonlea. Yes, I grew up with the King James Bible and Shakespeare and noticed early on the similarity of the language. The Bible is easier to read in a sense, since it uses a much smaller vocabulary than Shakespeare did, but but the background in those beautiful words made Shakespeare's English almost a native language for me.

---

avonleajane wrote:

Hello,

  I'm excited to pop my head in and out of this thread even if I may not have time to read all of the selections.  I'm a B&N bookseller, a former English major, and an avid reader since a very young age.  I got my start on Shakespeare in 9th grade when we read Romeo & Juliet, and while I didn't really care about the romance (come on, I was their age when I read it and there was no way I could ever fall in love at first sight), what pleased me most was Shakespeare's humor and cleverness (I thought the Nurse was hilarious).  I also thought it was interesting that I seemed to understand the language better than a lot of my classmates.  I've wondered about why the language comes relatively easy to me, and I think it's because I grew up reading the King James version of the Bible.  Does anybody else with a background with the KJV find that understanding Shakespeare is easier because of your familiarity with that version, or am I just crazy? 

   In college I had an amazing Shakespeare professor who helped me to look at some of the plays in a completely different way.  It was one of my favorite classes, and I considered taking another semester of it so I could see what he would have to say about a different set of plays.  Since then I've always been excited to hear new takes on the Bard.  I'd like to be an expert on the whole "real identity of Shakespeare" issue, but there are so many books out there about it that I don't even know where to start. 

  I'm going to try to pick up Julius Caesar tomorrow at work.  I'm looking forward to it!

---

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[ConnieAnnKirk]

Welcome, avonleajane!

Your enthusiasm for Shakespeare is infectious!  I look forward to hearing your comments and observations about the play once you get a chance to re/read it.  Come back soon!

~ConnieK

[dogearedcopy]

As I'm still getting my feet wet, I think I'll  stick to Julius Caeser.

That said, there is a re-interpretation of MND at Oregon Shakespeare Festival whereby the whole of it is set in a disco a la Studio 54. I may just have grit my teeth and go see it now...