[Tzfat]

I guess they never saw Merchant of Venice peformed.

[Dysart]

I wonder at it.

[GOP Poet]

As someone who has written plays and directed, I would NEVER, EVER request previously written work be changed to appease any gender, race, culture anything! These works are what they are. They gave birth in a certain time and place and every little piece is critical to the delivery.

The ONLY exception would be a redundancy for times sake and only that if it is critical to the play being made and it would be made very clear in the literature that this section was taken out for time consideration but would orient the viewer to a place that would allow them to read or view the play in its entirety.

Even the best directors and writers can not know the mind of the writer (unless it is themselves) and any change changes the play and its interpretation. Period.

This is especially important in plays by renowned playwrights such as Shakespeare. Each piece is a slice of the time in which it was created. Let us enjoy even if it is uncomfortable at times. That is what art is. (Let's hope).

[JRandomFreeper]

I'm sure that if I made migas, arroz y frijoles for breakfast, they would pass it up.

WTF? That's a damn fine breakfast. They ashamed of it?

/johnny

[Mercat]

Are they the two who hung out with Dogberry? I guess I’m confused. Why didn’t they use the original names in the first place?

[Cicero]

Shakespeare was clearly making good-humored fun of the characters in question.

On the other hand, why change them at all?

[Sans-Culotte]

I directed a community theater production of Much Ado 20 years ago. One can do racial sterotypes with Dogberry et al without changing the names (I did not do so). The Royal Shakespeare Co.did a production in the 70s set in India in the 19th century in which Dogberry was a sepoy. His malapropisms (spoken with an Indian accent) were hilarious.

I agree that the Jacobi Hamlet from ‘79 on the BBC was superb. Probably my favorite.