Being Shakespeare

This is a very entertaining way to hear the argument that Shakespeare did indeed write all the plays ascribed to him. The play is by a Shakespearean scholar, Jonathan Bates, and the performance I saw at the Broadway Theater in Chicago was by Simon Callow (best known to me as the funeral in 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'). The play starts off with Shakespeare as a baby--his place in his family of origin, and the life he would have had in 16th century Stratford. It progresses through his life--in stages--and ends with his death. The template apparently comes from a speech in 'As You Like It', but it reminded me of Erik Erikson's Eight Stage of Man, where we have different developmental stages throughout our lives. The play links various works with the age that Shakespeare would have been when they were written, and then what we know about him at that time. The material is well written--very funny on the one hand, and craftily using Shakespeare's own soliliqies to bring home the main point on the other. The delivery that Callow brings to the play is quite good. The package is well wrapped in this case and well worth travelling to see.