Some of us have replied to the poll in Polls only: No discussion, Which Shakespearean plays have you seen in a live performance?
It’s interesting to compare the poll replies with the list on the website linked below, Shakespeareances.com: Shakespeare's Most Popular Plays in Production, which gives “a ranking of all of Shakespeare’s plays according to the frequency that they have been produced over the past half-decade”.
Not surprisingly, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is at the top of both lists. The second play on the poll, The Taming of the Shrew, is just number 8 on the website, which may not be surprising either considering that it’s become less popular in recent years and some poll replies will include seeing it in productions many years ago–I saw it in 1970 and have not seen it since.
I’ve only seen Romeo and Juliet live, and in a school production to boot. That’s probably the case for most - it’s popular because it’s part of standard literature curriculum.
I’ve seen all ten on the list. Some by professionals, some by decidedly non-professionals. The local repertory theater festival does a classic play every year, so I’ve seen most of Shakespeare and a big hunk of Moliere. As a one time English teacher, I’ve staged R & J and parts of Hamlet. Not award-worthy productions, but at least I taught Hamlet and Laertes the proper way to swap swords during the final duel.
Because the concept behind it—two young lovers from opposing clans fall in love and end up dying for one another—is one that a lot of people find compelling, or
Because it’s about teenagers, so it’s often the first Shakespeare play that kids get introduced to (to read or watch or act in themselves).
I’ve encountered more than one director who takes it as a challenge, to try to find a feminist way to present Shrew. I’m not sure any of them have succeeded, but they’ve tried.
Pretty sure I’ve seen all of them live - or at least on video. During covid I read all of the plays. I had remembered Taming of the Shrew fondly. Boy - it is pretty hard to read!
I’m surprised Merchant of Venice is not on the list.
Mercutio and the Nurse get some good lines, but they evoke a smile or wince of wisdom hard learned, not guffaws of laughter. A couple of puns and that’s about it. Unless you are referring to this version:
Most likely, yes. I’ve often thought that kids in the 60s on were required to read Romeo because of the musical. In fact, the copy that we read had both productions. I’ve never thought to look more deeply to see if I’m right.
It was the first one we read in 10th grade. We had to perform a scene from it in English class. Me being me, I did a scene with Romeo and the priest, who was the most interesting character to me, and I performed it by myself, flipping a name card back and forth.
I also wrote and presented an elaborate poem about Julius Caesar which we also had to read.
I’ve always been a weirdo.
In fairness to R&J it may be one of Shakespeare’s most accessible plays. My favorite that I’ve read is Hamlet but I’ve never seen it performed. I saw the movie version of Macbeth with Sir Patrick, and was slain. But it’s fair to say I haven’t seen enough live Shakespeare.
