humanities.lit.authors.shakespeare

On Mar 7, 6:32=A0pm, bookb...@yahoo.com wrote:
> On Fri, 7 Mar 2008 15:22:27 -0800 (PST), hj
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
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> >On Mar 7, 2:17=A0pm, Tom Reedy wrote:
> >> The best production of AYLI I ever saw cut Jaques' role. It was a
> >> breath of fresh air not to have to endure the ages of man speech and
> >> the following obligatory audience applause.
>
> >> TR
>
> >=3D=3D> Damn, I glad it isn't only me! Jacques is (IMHO) superfluous,
> >dropped in here or there to make an acerbic statement. Actually I like
> >the 'ages of man' speech, except that there's not very much context
> >for it--as though Will had this really cool bit of monologue and
> >didn't care where it went as long as it went *somewhere*. That plus
> >the fact that I've heard it too often. It's like a very nice song
> >that's gotten played to death.
>
> > =A0hj
>
> I disagree about Jacques. =A0In considering what characters in the canon
> are necessary to reveal the bard, Jacques ranks high, IMO. =A0He gives
> us perspective in evaluating the experience in the play, departing in
> the last scene to live in a cave, which is a meaningful comment.
> Probably anyone who thinks Jacques is merely a distraction to the plot
> is either unaware of what he says and represents or typically prefers
> what Masterplots or Readers Digest Condensed Version includes; just
> read Charles and Mary Lamb and follow the bouncing ball. =A0bb-

But you didn't see the production, did you? Of the five AYLI
productions I've seen, it was by far the liveliest.

TR