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" But why does mere revision make so many Shakespeare fans so uncomfortable? Some people don't like any alterations to Shakespeare's text nor even presenting them in anything other than their historical settings. To me, such an ultrapurist approach can lead to what I somewhat derisively call "museum piece Shakespeare"-though, I must say, I do enjoy visiting and spending hours in museums, and among my favorite stagings of Shakespeare are text-centric, historically costumed productions. But even these are cut for length. Furthermore, to varying degrees, each could be called an "adaptation" because any time an actor picks up a Shakespearean role, he or she is adapting it for that production, and sometimes adapting it from performance to performance, depending on the theater and audience."

r. Bloom talked about his book, Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human, published by Riverhead Books. The book is about Mr. Bloom's belief that "personality, in our sense, is a Shakespearean invention, and is not only Shakespeare's greatest originality, but also the authentic cause of his perpetual pervasiveness."

"During the tour, a blood-making demonstration was given, and the Public has now offered us their special recipe. Save it for Halloween... or your own at-home Lear reenactments. "

"Keep Reading:"

Reading and watching William Shakespeare's plays shouldn't make you feel stupid. But the 400 years between when they were written and today have put up barriers of culture and language that make it hard to read or watch them clean. People (alive and dead) are always telling you what to think about these plays instead of just letting you engage them yourself.

"This sketch was performed on stage for an AIDS benefit concert directed by Stephen Fry on September 18, 1989. Rowan Atkinson's character is unnamed, but from the look of him, it seems he's a member of the Blackadder family. The other character, whom you will know, was played by Hugh Laurie."

"One of Shakespeare's best-loved comedies, Twelfth Night was 'blissfully reborn' (Telegraph) for the 2012/13 season at London's Globe Theatre, under the direction of Tim Carroll. The hilarious tale of misdirection and deception is performed here by an all-male cast, among whom we find Mark Rylance as Olivia and Roger Lloyd-Pack as Sir Anthony Aguecheek. The production also marks Stephen Fry's triumphant return to the stage as the pompous Malvolio, ridiculous in his yellow stockings."

An Edmonton theatre company has cancelled its production of Othello after controversy erupted over the casting of a white woman as the lead, traditionally a role filled by a person of colour.