Celebrating Shakespeare

Shakespeare

‘Tis the season of Shakespeare once again. Today is his birthday – April 23. All of last year belonged to him as the world celebrated the 450th year after his time on earth, and even this year he is well remembered as his work is locally exhibited now more than at any other time.

Forever a man of the theatre and an everlasting poet for all seasons, it was he who wrote, “All the world’s a stage, /And all the men and women merely players” – a line so popular and so fittingly appropriate that it became the property of all the world; so oft repeated that it became a cliché. And indeed, he had prophesied with pinpoint accuracy that “in eternal lines” his verse “in black ink . . . may still shine bright”.

It is doing so now. A film version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was shown a week ago by the British High Commissioner, and Julius Caesar will be on stage next week, done by GEM’s Theatre Productions in collaboration with the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama – very helpful to those writing Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate exams.