Not the worst either. I saw an incredible production at the OSF in the 1970s and it made an indelible impression. Over the years I’ve seen upwards of a hundred performances, and not infrequently plays I’d read and been relatively unimpressed by came to life on the stage in ways that astonished me. Just a reminder of the obvious; these were originally meant to be seen and heard, not read, and a talented director and cast makes all the difference. Like most aficionados I’ve seen minor plays that blew me away and Hamlets that left me surreptitiously glancing at my watch.
Books about Shakespeare, good, bad and indifferent, would fill a warehouse. I used to have a decent library on the subject but gave most of it away. Personal favorites, like Schoenbaum’s Shakespeare’s Lives and some of EK Chambers’ work, I kept.
