humanities.lit.authors.shakespeare

(quote)

"Shakespeare catches up with times"

Staff Reporter

His reworking of history also made him people-centric: Parnab
Mukherjee



CHENNAI: Shakespeare is a playwright of the people, giving voice to
marginal characters and finding resonance in people's struggles today,
alternative theatre director Parnab Mukherjee said on Thursday.

In town for the 'Hamara Shakespeare' festival, organised by the
Prakriti Foundation, the Delhi-based media analyst and performance
consultant talked about the relevance of Shakespeare in contemporary
times to Loyola College students.

V.R. Devika of the Aseema Trust introduced Mr. Mukherjee as having
directed more than 50 productions and having extensively worked on a
range of human rights issues in the country.

Shakespeare's plays have found resonance in some of these struggles.
Though he was patronised by royalty, the playwright would pepper his
plays with asides that were meant exclusively for the lower-class
occupants of the front rows, he said. His plays are rich with the
voices of the marginal and fringe characters. The language used in the
plays was modern for his time. The most popular cinema and theatre of
any time has not contributed as much to the language of contemporary
common use as Shakespeare, he said. His reworking of history --
ignoring documented history and choosing such notions of people's
history as suited him -- also made him people-centric.

Interacting with students after the lecture, Mr. Mukherjee pointed out
that school and college syllabi had often selected the plays that were
royalty-centred, giving a skewered view of his body of work. "His
poetry can still be quoted for Valentine's day," he quipped.
Shakespeare-inspired plays would be performed as part of the 'Hamara
Shakespeare' festival at the Museum Theatre, Egmore, on Friday and
Saturday. Mr. Mukherjee's group 'Best of Kolkata Campus' performed on
Thursday evening.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/15/stories/2008021558180200.htm