A-Z Books My Parents Enjoyed: D is for the Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare

Both my parents were fans of Shakespeare. One of our regular stops during cross-country family vacations was the Globe-like theater in Cedar City. I remember King Lear (the scene where Lear's eyes are dug out--the actor's back to the audience) and Merchant of Venice (because my brothers argued about it). 

We also visited The Mount, the outdoor theater at Edith Wharton's estate. At the time, The Mount put on Shakespeare plays in the summer. The production I remember best was Much Ado About Nothing set in the 1920s. During a scene with Benedict, the actor kept setting up to hit a golf ball--he would get distracted and not take the shot...until the very end. 

These plays involved planning ahead by several months, and my father would read the plays to us beforehand at the dinner table.  

We also watched local productions. For example, I went to see Hamlet with my mom. I was a senior and I had never seen a version of the play! I also saw Shogun MacBeth at The Egg in Albany with my brother Henry. I later saw a version of MacBeth in Aspen, Colorado when my father went there for a conference. I still consider MacBeth one of Shakespeare's fastest moving and most usable plays.  

So I grew up exposed to Shakespeare! Most importantly, I encountered Shakespeare as (1) a play and plays should be watched; (2) as action/entertainment. Sure, the themes were there, but Shakespeare was great fiction long before he was some kind of Lesson To Be Applied In Your Life. 

I continue to believe that fiction as craft, creativity, talent, and audience enthrallment is more important--and prevents some of the worst excesses of egocentric lesson-making--than is it profound? theorizing.