Favorite Shakespeare play (century, day, professional, best)

[k374]

I just booked some tickets to see A Midsummer Nights Dream at the Novello in London next month Anyone seen Shakespeare recently? What is your favorite play? I think mine is Julius Caesar.

[7G9C4J2]

Yikes, what a question! That's kind of like asking me which of my kids I like the best - well-nigh impossible to answer.

And so much depends on which production you happen to see; in the hands of an inept director and/or acting company, any play sucks. We're fortunate to live about 30 miles away from one of the country's best professional regional repertory companies (American Players' Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin), which always includes at least two and usually three Shakespeare plays in their season; we've always been mightily impressed by what they've done.

Let's see, some of my particular favorites.... Hamlet is always high on my list, and APT's 2003 production was especially good. I also must confess a particular fondness for the Scottish play, at least in the hands of a top-notch production team, as was indeed the case at APT in 2005. We saw Timon of Athens, one of his more obscure tragedies, in 2007 at APT, and I was absolutely blown away by it.

Among the comedies, I think I like Merry Wives of Windsor the best, though both Midsummer Night's Dream and Taming of the Shrew can be side-splittingly funny as well. And of the fantasies, I think Tempest is among my favorites.

The histories are a bit more challenging, as they can easily drag in the hands of a less-than-wonderful director. I liked what APT did this year with Henry IV very much indeed, and the fact that they're including Henry V in next year's lineup with the same actor who played Prince Hal in IV in the title role for V already has me eager to see that production. Richard II is another that I like a lot, when done well.

[nat_at772]

Originally Posted by k374

I just booked some tickets to see A Midsummer Nights Dream at the Novello in London next month Anyone seen Shakespeare recently? What is your favorite play? I think mine is Julius Caesar.

Tough question - I think maybe Taming of the Shrew.
My favorite movie based on a Shakespeare play would probably have to be O or Shakespeare in Love.

[quiet walker]

Henry V, if only for the grand speech of King Henry V, exhorting his troops for the next day's battle against their adversarie's superior numbers in France.

"... We few, we happy few, we band of brothers
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day"

Shakespeare's Saint Crispen's Day Speech (http://www.chronique.com/Library/Knights/crispen.htm - broken link)

[Gue]

I remember the first time I heard Kenneth Branagh deliver that speech & thinking you are no Olivier.

Favorite~ I think Othello with James Earl Jones & Christopher Plummer.

[Mark S.]

I prefer the tragedies. Hamlet's probably my favorite, followed closely by Macbeath and King Lear.

Of the comedies, Much Ado About Nothing is probably my favorite.

Romeo & Juliet is probably my least favorite. Gag.

[Druxy]

I like HAMLET.

When I was in high school, the movie with Olivier really gave me an appreciation of Shakespeare.

And, I got to do the the play in college.

No, I wasn't Hamlet. I played Osric.

[BlueWillowPlate]

It's so hard to choose--and I am not familiar with every last one of them.
I actually prefer Branagh's down to earth style to Olivier's overwrought emoting. Branagh has been a real champion of Shakespeare in cinema and I salute him for it.
I do enjoy the romantic comedies; often they have a bittersweet tang to them.
I *loved* Branagh as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, that was a wonderful production.
I also liked Trevor Nunn's moody film adaptation of Twelfth Night, with Ben Kingsley.
And I was enchanted with the cinematic Midsummer Night's Dream, with Michelle Pfeiffer and Rupert Everett. It's interesting to see the different settings chosen: turn of the century gardens of Italy, the rugged coast of Cornwall.
It's interesting to explore language with Shakespeare--very educational.
One of my kids was Prospero in The Tempest, the other was Banquo in MacBeth. They still remember their parts.
We saw As You Like It at the Globe in London; I enjoyed Branagh's Kevin Kline cinematic production (set in 19th century Japan!) as well.
Over all, if I had to pick, I'd probably choose Much Ado--I so love Beatrice.
...there was a star danc'd, and under that was I born...

[nat_at772]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

I prefer the tragedies. Hamlet's probably my favorite, followed closely by Macbeath and King Lear.

Of the comedies, Much Ado About Nothing is probably my favorite.

Romeo & Juliet is probably my least favorite. Gag.

I'm not that fond of Romeo and Juliet either; there wasn't enough scheming for me. That was the main reason I liked Macbeth.

[EnricoV]

Ooh. I live in Oregon, and we have one of the best Shakespearan theaters around. So I think I've seen almost every one of them, at least once. Most several times. I've even seen Titus Andronicus (a Shakespearean slasher play!) But, how to choose? How to choose?

Have to say, Richard III and Othello are probably my two favorites. For fluffy plays, probably Taming of the Shrew. Least favorite ... Measure for Measure.