Shakespeare Inventory:

[landofnowhere]

Inspired by @rachelmanija's post here, I'm going to go through Shakespeare's plays and list which ones I've seen/read/acted in/crewed for (in the latter two cases, in abridged youth productions).  Please ask questions and encourage me to fill gaps:

Antony and Cleopatra : acted (various minor roles, including Asp-Seller).  I still don't entirely know what's going on in that play -- I ran into the guy who played Antony last year, and he confessed that neither did he.  I do remember Antony's suicide scene got some good laughs, which may not have been the intention.

As You Like It : Seen live, multiple times, including at the Globe.  Auditioned for at the community college when I was a teenager, but did not get cast (and then didn't even get to see the show because ice storm).

Comedy of Errors : Have seen live at least once, with gratuitious horses because Saratoga.  Acted in (Egeon).

Coriolanus : nothing

Cymbeline : Crewed for youth production directed by my sister.  I think it was pretty good, considering.  Also was part of a HRSFANs read-aloud which was pretty great -- and entertaining to see the reactions of the people who had no idea what they were getting into.  Thanks, Jupiter!

Hamlet : Seen twice, one youth production directed by my sister (who also played Claudius) and one live production.  Read in college.  Not sure I've ever seen any of the classic movie versions.

Henry IV, Part I : nothing (basically I haven't been exposed to any English monarchs not named Richard)

Henry IV, Part II : nothing will come of nothing, speak again.

Henry V : no

Henry VI, Part I : nope

Henry VI, Part II : nada

Henry VI, Part III : zilch

Henry VIII : why so many Henrys?

Julius Caesar : Have read many times, was in a youth production (as Casca + Octavius, also I did the abridgment myself), have watched the version with Marlon Brando as Anthony, but somehow have never seen live!  I was supposed to when I was 12, but then I got the flu.  (ETA: oh, and how could I forget all the times HRSFA acted out the assassination scene on the steps of Memorial Church with Sickles of Doom)

King John : another king not named Richard, what do you think?

King Lear : OK, fine, I have read this one, but I was 13 and didn't enjoy.  I might argue that it's the Mansfield Park of Shakespeare plays, but that's probably because I'm still missing the point.

Love's Labour's Lost : Watched the Kenneth Branagh version when I was a teenager, and got a crush on him.  Think it was generally enjoyable but a bit silly.  Have never read.

Macbeth :  Another one that I acted in (Banquo + Lady Macduff) and have read but never seen.

Measure for Measure :  Read for class in college, and got to perform in one scene (Lucio/a) for that same class. Apart from the other scenes that were performed for that class,  have never seen it.

Merchant of Venice : Read for class, have never seen.

Merry Wives of Windsor : nothing.

Midsummer Night's Dream : Seen live so many times!  Made my debut as Titania at age 10.  Have seen the classic 1930's version but maybe not any others.  One of my favorites to read because of the use of different registers of language -- return to it periodically.

Much Ado about Nothing :  Another staple of the repertory!  Have seen live a lot + played Borachio in a youth production.

Othello : read in college, saw an all-female production in college that was quite good.

Pericles : Um, so I've heard @dr_whom give his monologue version of the plot of the play multiple times, does that count?  And I've definitely read parts of the play out of curiosity as to whether it was actually so bad (and whether the incestuous royals from Act I literally got hit by a meteorite -- not quite, but might as well).

Richard II : read when I was 13 and then maybe again in college.  Thought it was a bit dull but had some good lines.  Have never seen.

Richard III : yeah, so I've never seen any history plays.  But I was part of an excellent HRSFANs read-aloud of this -- it was really worth it to have a real historian around to explain what was going on with everything.  It did go until like 2am, but was worth it.  

Romeo and Juliet : Have seen so many times, including the two most famous movie versions.  Also co-directed it/played Lord Capulet as a teenager (somewhere in my locked archives there's an old post about that).  

Taming of the Shrew : my sister directed a youth version of this, but I think I've also seen a live adult version.

Tempest :  Seen so many times!  Also I was Prospero when I was 11.  Better poetry than plot.

Timon of Athens : nope.

Titus Andronicus : I've seen Rose M. enact it with a plate of food?  Otherwise no, cannibalism not my thing.

Troilus and Cressida : empty set

Twelfth Night : Yes, seen so many times!  Also was Viola when 14.

Two Gentlemen of Verona : a blank, my lord.

Winter's Tale : read in college, never seen (except that I think my TA showed us a video clip of the "exit, pursued by a bear" scene).

Comments

[rachelmanija]

Antony's suicide scene got some good laughs

Oh dear.

But I now really want to see an all-female Othello!

[landofnowhere]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure Antony was cast entirely on the basis of being male and willing to play love scenes. He was... kind of a ham? I mean, he could act, but his strengths were in comedy. So he had excellent surprised reactions to his servant killing himself instead, and to "What, Cleopatra's *not* dead?" which in rehearsal I thought were good drama, but came off as comedy.