2008 Woodie Awards
Pre-show talk sheds light on Shakespeare's Italy
Stephanie Harris
Issue date: 5/6/08 Section: News
Before the Saturday, May 3 matinee performance of "Romeo and Juliet," Professor of English and Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, Dr. William Babula, spoke about the setting of Shakespeare's famous tragedy.
At 1:15 p.m., Babula lectured in the lobby of Person Theater to a small group of individuals whom had arrived early to hear him speak.
In his talk, Babula spoke about Verona, Italy, which is the setting for "Romeo and Juliet."
After his analysis of the setting, Babula referred to passages from "Romeo and Juliet" in order to show how different Shakespeare was from the other sonnet writers of his time.
"Most say that Shakespeare never traveled from England to Italy," said Babula.
Through analyzing Shakespeare's Italy and referencing Anthony Burgess's biographical book, Shakespeare, it becomes apparent that the settings Shakespeare described in many of his plays, including "Romeo and Juliet," had more of England's characteristics than that of Italy.
The English cities during Shakespeare's lifetime were full of young people in their 20s who had just recently moved from the rural areas. There were many arguments and brawls similar to those in Shakespeare's scripts. Alcohol was abused, and duels were an often occurrence, even though they were outlawed. The cities of England were far more violent than those of Italy.
"Is he really representing Verona? Or is he hiding behind a mask and really representing England?" Babula asked of his audience.
Even the citizens of Italy and England often wondered if Shakespeare was trying to make a statement about England in his description of Italy.
This inaccurate representation of a setting is not just specific to Italy. In "Hamlet," Shakespeare does the same with Denmark.
The pre-show talk is a characteristic of many theaters, including the San Francisco Opera where Babula has attended performances. He enjoys going to the shows where a pre-show talk precedes the performance.
Professor Babula currently teaches the Shakespeare and World Drama course and the class titled, Introduction to Shakespeare. He is proud that four of his students are actors in "Romeo and Juliet."
In his recent trip to Italy, Babula described seeing tourists touch the breast of Verona's Juliet statue for good luck. He also remembers arguing with a tour guide who told the travelers that Shakespeare would often visit Italy.
"This tragedy has been so effective. So many young women write letters to Juliet care of Verona," said Babula. "And, they even get a response."
"Romeo and Juliet" will be ending its run this week. The remaining show times are May 7 and 8 at 7:30 p.m., and May 10 at 8 p.m.
At 1:15 p.m., Babula lectured in the lobby of Person Theater to a small group of individuals whom had arrived early to hear him speak.
In his talk, Babula spoke about Verona, Italy, which is the setting for "Romeo and Juliet."
After his analysis of the setting, Babula referred to passages from "Romeo and Juliet" in order to show how different Shakespeare was from the other sonnet writers of his time.
"Most say that Shakespeare never traveled from England to Italy," said Babula.
Through analyzing Shakespeare's Italy and referencing Anthony Burgess's biographical book, Shakespeare, it becomes apparent that the settings Shakespeare described in many of his plays, including "Romeo and Juliet," had more of England's characteristics than that of Italy.
The English cities during Shakespeare's lifetime were full of young people in their 20s who had just recently moved from the rural areas. There were many arguments and brawls similar to those in Shakespeare's scripts. Alcohol was abused, and duels were an often occurrence, even though they were outlawed. The cities of England were far more violent than those of Italy.
"Is he really representing Verona? Or is he hiding behind a mask and really representing England?" Babula asked of his audience.
Even the citizens of Italy and England often wondered if Shakespeare was trying to make a statement about England in his description of Italy.
This inaccurate representation of a setting is not just specific to Italy. In "Hamlet," Shakespeare does the same with Denmark.
The pre-show talk is a characteristic of many theaters, including the San Francisco Opera where Babula has attended performances. He enjoys going to the shows where a pre-show talk precedes the performance.
Professor Babula currently teaches the Shakespeare and World Drama course and the class titled, Introduction to Shakespeare. He is proud that four of his students are actors in "Romeo and Juliet."
In his recent trip to Italy, Babula described seeing tourists touch the breast of Verona's Juliet statue for good luck. He also remembers arguing with a tour guide who told the travelers that Shakespeare would often visit Italy.
"This tragedy has been so effective. So many young women write letters to Juliet care of Verona," said Babula. "And, they even get a response."
"Romeo and Juliet" will be ending its run this week. The remaining show times are May 7 and 8 at 7:30 p.m., and May 10 at 8 p.m.
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