On Monday we watched a short documentary on Chinese opera and discussed some similarities between this unique art form and the theater of Shakespeare's day. The question is, what might we gain from making Shakespeare more symbolic (and less realistic) and more about spectacle (than mere language)? In his own day, music played a very important role in the theater, as did sword fighting, dance, and other extraneous elements. To test this theory, we will watch a Chinese opera version of The Tempest in class and will discuss it on Friday. I will also have a short article for you to read for Friday's class as well.
NOTE: Be sure to start meeting or e-mailing one another in your groups to allocate tasks. I will meet with each group next week to determine where you are in the process, and kick you collectively in the you-know-what if nothing is being done. The end of the semester draws apace, so start planning your group projects! It should be fun--not a chore.
If you missed the documentary, you can learn about Chinese opera here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtV3iAuYN48
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