Shakespeare's Influence | Shakespeare and the Modern Critic
Shakespeare is the measure of many things, among them the critic. Just as actors and directors must cut their teeth on Shakespeare, so the dramatic critic must sharpen his discrimination on him. That is to say, there is no way of being a serious theater critic without having evolved a set of criteria based on what one thinks can or cannot be done to Shakespeare. This is particularly true today, when "director's theater" is having its anarchic heyday and when every stage director who wishes to be a playwright—or who wants to make a name for himself by rewriting a few masterpieces —must...
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