Yes, you read that right. There’s no particular reason other than I felt like I needed a project that had very clear boundaries and an end goal; and that it’ll be fun.
So far, I’m two plays in: I have read Othello and I’m reading The Merchant of Venice.
Here are my rules:
I can read the works in any order, though I’m probably going to read all the plays and all the poems.
I’m going to read the plays in duos or trios that make sense; this is why I’ve read O and MOV together. They share a lot of themes and a common location.
I have to make something inspired by every play. I’m currently working on a piece about Othello. Keep your eyes peeled.
I must watch at least one performance of each play.
I must also read a decent selection of the criticism.
I’m making a lot of notes as I go, so I thought I’d share them. I really like what Hester Lees-Jefferies did with Romeo and Juliet, so some of my notes follow that model. I’ve decided to host them online, so you can watch me work! If you’re interested, you can find them here.
If you’ve any suggestions about what I should read, what performances I should watch, etc., please let me know in the comments!