To Text or Not to Text
Monday, April 28th by scott malia
If you have never heard of Two Geezas of Verona, fear not. Likewise, if All’s Sweet That Ends Sweet does not ring any bells, you are not alone. The two titles are part of a larger trend of rewriting Shakespeare. In this case, a playwright (and self-described satirist) has rewritten several of Shakespeare’s texts using British “yoof speak,” a combination of British street slang and text-message phrasing.
Text messaging definitely marks a generational divide. For the tech-savvy youth, it’s a no-brainer as they have never known a world without the variety of media at their fingertips. For older generations, it’s one more gizmo to shake their heads at in exasperation and vow never to learn. For those of us in between, it’s a little of both. I have definitely texted, but it is far from being a way of life. I also do not use the OMG’s and other acronyms so associated with it. I see it as a useful tool, yet there’s a part of me that just wants to tell those fast-fingered kids to get the heck off my lawn before I call the police.
Perhaps the same could be said about reinterpretations of Shakespeare. There are those of us in the “Shakespeare has to be hip and reinvented” camp, while others reside in the “stop trying to dumb it down, it’s brilliant as it is” district. In a way the battle itself is good for both sides. Perhaps when I get the urge to shake my cane at Two Geezas of Verona, I should instead give it a chance. I just might LMAO.
