Willy Shakes is back again.
I had the joy of being on a panel at ConCarolinas which discussed the prevalence of William Shakespeare in modern literature. At the time, I didn’t know there was a TNT show about to come out called “Will”, dramatizing the rise of William Shakespeare in the London theater of his day.
Got to see the first episode of “Will,” now that I have the ability to watch some form of TV via the internet at my home. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Then again, I enjoy almost anything Shakespeare. As I said on the panel, the 1990’s Leonardo DiCaprio adaptation of “Romeo + Juliet” is a guilty pleasure of mine. I put it on often when I’m bored and doing something else.
My favorite part of this new show is how it shows Shakespeare drawing, even his new words, from his contemporaries and interactions. The idea of him as a solo genius has been often overwrought, so seeing him as part and parcel of the world he existed in is refreshing outside of an academic class.
This is the first episode though, so I don’t know how well the show is going to hold up, but I have high hopes. I want to see something wonderful on screen that doesn’t make me want to throw things.