"Shake" Online
I've sort of avoided posting online links on this site (aside from the generic links to the right), because I don't want to give privilege to every random Shakespeare site I stumble on. There are hundreds of thousands of sites devoted to Shakespeare on the Internet, and most of them are garbage (whether this site is an exception or not, I leave for the reader to decide).
Having said that, I do have a keen interest in electronic teaching resources (in fact, one of my day jobs involves building them). I'm always curious to see how theatrical concepts have been adapted or translated into a virtual medium. Usually, what happens is the Internet adapts (or re-mediates) materials from other media--and so, you get online essays (which are usually hard to read) or online movies (tiny and choppy).
The Banana TV website is up-front about the fact that it's trying to translate the aesthetic of television onto the Internet. It's an Australian site that gives screen-time to notable Aussie actors, giving them a chance to sound off about their areas of interest. Sounds self-indulgent and trite, I know, but David Ritchie, who does the "Shake" series on Shakespeare, clearly knows his stuff.
Ritchie devotes six 10-minute "televised" lectures to King Lear, talking about a range of motifs, themes, and images in the play. He also has segments on Shakespeare & Sex, Shakespeare & Violence, and Shakespeare & Popular Culture. It's essentially just a talking head (and you need Windows Media Player to watch it), but Ritchie is an engaging actor, weaving quotations into his lectures with enthusiasm and wit.
I wouldn't recommend the site as a substitute for reading the play, of course. But if critical theory puts you to sleep, you might find Ritchie's energy keeps you a bit more involved. I also like the little Aussie promotional commercial that plays at the start of each episode.
Having said that, I do have a keen interest in electronic teaching resources (in fact, one of my day jobs involves building them). I'm always curious to see how theatrical concepts have been adapted or translated into a virtual medium. Usually, what happens is the Internet adapts (or re-mediates) materials from other media--and so, you get online essays (which are usually hard to read) or online movies (tiny and choppy).
The Banana TV website is up-front about the fact that it's trying to translate the aesthetic of television onto the Internet. It's an Australian site that gives screen-time to notable Aussie actors, giving them a chance to sound off about their areas of interest. Sounds self-indulgent and trite, I know, but David Ritchie, who does the "Shake" series on Shakespeare, clearly knows his stuff.
Ritchie devotes six 10-minute "televised" lectures to King Lear, talking about a range of motifs, themes, and images in the play. He also has segments on Shakespeare & Sex, Shakespeare & Violence, and Shakespeare & Popular Culture. It's essentially just a talking head (and you need Windows Media Player to watch it), but Ritchie is an engaging actor, weaving quotations into his lectures with enthusiasm and wit.
I wouldn't recommend the site as a substitute for reading the play, of course. But if critical theory puts you to sleep, you might find Ritchie's energy keeps you a bit more involved. I also like the little Aussie promotional commercial that plays at the start of each episode.
posted by Scott Sharplin at 10:04 a.m.
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