30-01-2011, 08:01 PM
Charles and I disagree on Shakespeare. He is the Shakespeare scholar and
I am not.
But I do know a little about history, especially art history, of that era.
Successful painters were big business back then. A popular painter
would have many commissions to fill, and would have a studio with many
apprentices. To turn out a high volume, the signature artist would supervise
the early stages of a landscape or portrait; apprentices would do a lot of
the grunt work, and the signature artist would add the refined finishing
touches and sign his name. Even in the 1900s as an art director, I often
worked the same way.
In my opinion Bill Shakespeare was like other successful art entrepreneurs
of the era. He was the Flo Zigfeld of his day. He was a successful producer
of theatricals. He employed many apprentices and actors. They had production
dates to meet. Plots and characters were discussed. Actors improvised dialog.
Scribes took down conversations. Scripts were written and rewritten. Finally,
rehearsals honed down the finished performances, the curtain rose and the
audience was captivated. Hamlet uttered TO BE OR NOT TO BE, THAT IS THE
QUESTION. Everyone said that Will Shakespeare can really write! But did he?
Or was it "just another season, another show...there's no business like show
business, no business I know."
Jack
I am not.
But I do know a little about history, especially art history, of that era.
Successful painters were big business back then. A popular painter
would have many commissions to fill, and would have a studio with many
apprentices. To turn out a high volume, the signature artist would supervise
the early stages of a landscape or portrait; apprentices would do a lot of
the grunt work, and the signature artist would add the refined finishing
touches and sign his name. Even in the 1900s as an art director, I often
worked the same way.
In my opinion Bill Shakespeare was like other successful art entrepreneurs
of the era. He was the Flo Zigfeld of his day. He was a successful producer
of theatricals. He employed many apprentices and actors. They had production
dates to meet. Plots and characters were discussed. Actors improvised dialog.
Scribes took down conversations. Scripts were written and rewritten. Finally,
rehearsals honed down the finished performances, the curtain rose and the
audience was captivated. Hamlet uttered TO BE OR NOT TO BE, THAT IS THE
QUESTION. Everyone said that Will Shakespeare can really write! But did he?
Or was it "just another season, another show...there's no business like show
business, no business I know."
Jack