How NOT to play Ophelia

Speaking of binge watching BBC shows, if you're a theatre geek (especially of the Shakespeare variety) and you have never seen Slings and Arrows, get thee to Netflix and fix that post haste!

Playing Shakespeare by Gandhi and Friends!

If you're an actor in the mood for binge-watching dated BBC shows, this is for you.

Patrick Stewart, Ben Kingsley, Ian Mckellen and Judy Dench smoke on TV in bad 80s hairstyles and teach us how to act the Bard's work. Mark it well, young players!

Think you got "swagger"? Well, you can thank Shakespeare...

... Because he invented the word to use in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

via fremdeng.ning.com

What a cheater! Who does this dude think he is, just making up gibberish because he can't find the right words for what he wants to say? No wonder people think his plays are so hard to understand!

But when you take a closer look into the words that he jumbled together, you realize that he is actually believed to have invented over 1,700 of the words that we use today. Somehow, he had such a vast effect over the entire English language that helped to create a sizable chunk of it. And not just words, but common phrases, too.

via Becky/tumblr

Kinda impressive. And shows that this heightened language that so many claim is difficult to impossible to understand is actually much more familiar than we think. 

Meet the WilliamWorld Players! Today: Ben Lundergaard

Ben Lundergaard is a WilliamWorld rookie in many ways. Prior to joining us this summer he has never before performed the work of the Bard nor done any kind of acting before nor had any particular interest in the work or life of William Shakespeare. 

But after stopping by the faire to give a ride to his sister Viola, he caught a glimpse of our lovely Lily Stockbridge and the investment banker decided to give WilliamWorld a chance. Lord what fools these mortals be...

Ben Lundergaard is played by Alex Galick.

Alex Galick has several years of professional acting experience including repertory seasons with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and the Utah Shakespeare Festival, as well as extensive on-camera experience.

Meet the WilliamWorld Players! Today: Tori Steppinfeld

Tori Steppinfeld wears many hats in WilliamWorld. last summer alone she was in charge of Costumes, makeup, hair, Pony wrangling and laundry. We hope she has another stellar season and fully recovers from last summer’s nervous breakdown.

Tori Steppinfeld is played by Kristina Rodby.

Kristina Rodby is an actress in Minneapolis. Among her many acting roles, she does crisis training with the Crisis Company.

Meet The WilliamWorld Players! Today: Erica Snodgrass

Erica Snodgrass is an actress/model/recovering glue addict from Los Angeles. She will making her first WilliamWorld appearance this Summer as Beatrice while attending the pheasant on a stick stand. She be seen in such illustrious films as Brokeback Mountain, Zero Dark Thirty and American Hustle. She hopes to someday graduate to speaking parts. 

Erica Snodgrass is played by Michelle Schwantes.

Michelle is also a professional on-camera and theatrical actor. She has extensive experience in theatre, voice overs, radio, film, promotions and modeling.

Michelle is the Artistic Director of Poetry Alive. Poetry Alive is a professional touring theatre company that produces high-energy performances, workshops and professional development for educational institutions, literary conferences, and libraries. 

Meet the WilliamWorld Players! Today: Bradley Alan Brooks

Bradley Alan Brooks is a former child star of the 80s and recovering drug addict who joins the WilliamWorld cast for the first time this summer and looks forward to playing Othello. His experience with the Bard consists mainly of having played Don Pedro in Much ado about Nothing with Adam Rich and Joyce DeWitt at the San Marcos Community Theatre/Taco Bell parking lot. 

He hopes to remain with WilliamWorld well into the future or at least until he hears from Ikea about that cashier position. 

Bradley Alan Brooks is played by David Copper.

David Copper is a Minneapolis writer and actor and who likes some things and not others. He is allergic to the number eight.

Meet the WilliamWorld Players! Today: Daphid Pritchard

Daphid Pritchard is excited about joinng WilliamWorld for the fifth time. He will be playing Michael Cassio to his BFF Erin’s Desdemona while attending the handkerchief stand. 

His name is pronounced Da-vid, just like the name David, as the name Stephen is pronounced Stev-en, just like Steven. If he has to explain that one more time he will likely gouge someone’s eyes out. 


Daphid is played by Nicholas Nelson.

Nicholas Nelson recently completed a three-year engagement as a Resident Artist with Portland Opera. As an operatic bass, he has also appeared with Central City Opera, Tacoma Opera and Opera North in New Hampshire.  

In spoken theater, he has appeared locally with 20% Theatre Company and most recently in Nimbus Theater's production of The Lower Depths by Maxim Gorky. In addition to sung and spoken theater, Nicholas is active as a guitarist and thereminist.

2013 Florida Renaissance Festival Cleavage Contest Part 1

Such bawdiness!

Finally somebody understands The Bard! Laura Benanti explains Macbeth

Now I get it.