A new production of Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona pits a cast of seasoned pros against fresh-faced newcomers. The cast’s age range spans five decades and one production member quoted in an article about the production compared performing Shakespeare to the Olympics. If the comparison is apt, the temptation is to write off Shakespeare’s early comedy as a minor event in comparison to his ten history plays (which would be, what, the decathlon?) Still, cast members might argue differently, as even comic Shakespeare is still Shakespeare. Looking at the canon as a whole, is the Olympics a good or bad point of comparison?

Certainly few theatre artists would dispute the level of difficulty inherent in attempting Shakespeare. Much like competitive sports, Shakespearean actors perform better after rigorous training. Or do they? In a cast like this, the argument could be made both ways. Certainly, the young performers will bring something fresh and vital to the text, even if their performances lack a certain polish. The veteran actors might have more mastery of the material, but they run the risk of turning mechanical simply through sheer familiarity.

While both the Olympics and Shakespearean theatre have spectators, they come armed with very different concerns. Or do they? Olympic audiences want their chosen athletes to win; Shakespearean theatergoers don’t shell out tons of money to see flatly delivered poetry and awkward body movements. They want to be riveted, so in a sense they want the actors to win as well. Virtuoso acting nearly always carries with it an element of competitiveness (occasionally to a show’s detriment as actors vie for pieces of scenery to gnash into)—what could be more Olympian than that?

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.

It’s almost time. Men will be dashing to drug stores and supermarkets to pick up last minute gifts, cards and other sundries. Women will begin their collective eye-rolling at this panic, marveling how “the most romantic day of the year” still manages to take their mates by surprise year after year. Despite Valentine’s Day’s commercial veneer, many just want to feel special about the someone special in their lives. While the “Be Mine” heart-shaped candies and ubiquity of the color red in stores leave little doubt that the day has been largely consumed by commercialization, the day still manages to make people reflect on their relationships. Regardless of age, race, culture or orientation, couples must pick a side on Valentine’s Day, either for it or against it—and woe to the couple whose partners are not on the same side.

If overpriced chocolates, flowers and stationery are not your thing, the Orient Express’s British Pullman is offering a romantic dinner ride with Shakespeare a la carte. Scenes from his comedies (no doubt with an emphasis on romantic ones) will be presented by members of the Oxford Shakespeare Coompany. Instead of listening to Celine Dion or light jazz, adventurous romantics can take in samples of A Midsummer Night’s Dream or As You Like It. If you’ve every endured your significant other’s maladroit attempts at poetry (seriously, should the word “hot” ever appear in a poem), you may welcome the reprieve this unique entertainment offers. Who knows? Maybe Two Gentlemen of Verona’s aptly named character Valentine might even make an appearance.