‘De-colonizing' Shakespeare: Experts blame ‘white supremacy' for playwright's fame as hometown museum vows change
To be — or most definitely — not to be.
Regarded as the most influential writer in the English language, some of William Shakespeare's work is now viewed by critics as racist, sexist and homophobic.
As a result, the Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust is decolonizing his hometown museum over the growing concerns about how his ideas are being portrayed today.
The trust — which owns several buildings in Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon, England and a collection of personal documents of the writer's — wants to 'create a more inclusive museum experience' by promising to remove offensive language from its collections.
'As part of our ongoing work, we've undertaken a project which explores our collections to ensure they are as accessible as possible,' a statement from the trust read.
According to GB News, the trust intends to research how Shakespeare's artifacts could be interpreted to be less offensive and more diverse and inclusive.
This discussion surrounding Shakespeare's work has been going on for a few years.
Three years ago, a research project conducted by the trust and Dr. Helen Hopkins at the University of Birmingham suggested that the writer's works 'benefits the ideology of white European supremacy,' as reported by the Telegraph.
Adaptations of Shakespeare's work have been going on for hundreds of years, but in 2023, the historic Globe replica in London — which is closely associated with the writer — issued a warning of 'misogyny and racism' for their performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
According to the Daily Mail, at the time, a spokesman for the Globe said, 'Content guidance is written in advance of the creation of each production and based on what is present in the play. These will be updated as the production comes to life.'
A year prior to that, many US schools wanted to take Shakespeare out of their curriculum, stating that the writer's work promoted racism.
While many around the world are doing what they can to no longer promote the writer's work, Broadway doesn't seem to be joining the bandwagon.
The playwright's 1603 tragedy 'Othello' has opened at the Barrymore Theatre with Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal. The show is set to run through June 8.
Prior to that, the latest adaptation of 'Romeo and Juliet' starred Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor at the Broadway's Circle in the Square, which closed in early February.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Mary Anning': Swiss Animation Unearths the Childhood Backstory of a Legendary Fossil Pioneer in Annecy Playing Feature
Mary Anning has been part of paleontology's history since its very beginning. Yet this inspiring character's childhood remains largely unfamiliar to the public. A self-taught English fossil collector, Anning began her journey in the county of Dorset, England, in the small village of Lyme Regis, where she and her family discovered Jurassic marine fossil beds, one of the first major paleontological discoveries of the 19th century. Her story as a young, dedicated fossil collector inspired Swiss director Marcel Barelli, whose own passion for paleontology followed him into adulthood. Backed by his long-time collaborator and producer Nicolas Burlet (Nadasdy Films), Barelli felt it was the right time to embark on the journey of making a Swiss animated feature. More from Variety International Animation Unions Plan Protest Against AI at Annecy Festival: 'Generative Al Do Not Support Artists, It Destroys Them' Global Constellation Unveils Ambitious Animation Slate at Annecy (EXCLUSIVE) Tencent Video Strikes European Deal for 'Blades of the Guardian' With ADN (EXCLUSIVE) As 'Mary Anning' makes its world premiere this Monday at the Annecy Animation Festival, Variety spoke with Barelli about his debut feature, his eagerness to share powerful child-driven stories and the state of Swiss animation, which has a long history but still struggles to achieve industry-level status. How did you start your animated journey? My mother always pushed me to draw, saying that with a pen and paper, you can never be bored. But I never thought of it as a profession. I've always been a huge fan of cinema, not necessarily animation, because beyond Disney, I didn't really see what else there was. It was only a little later, once I decided to stop my chemistry studies, that I realized I wanted to make cinema. By pure chance, I discovered the works of Swiss animator Georges Schwizgebel, and that inspired me to start my own independent projects. Mary Anning is your first feature, after 16 years of making animated short films with Nadasdy Films. What compelled you to take this leap? After many years and many shorts, my producer Nicolas Burlet told me, 'Marcel, it is time for you to do something bigger.' I am a cautious type, going one step at a time. This felt like the next step in my career. Paleontology is another of my passions, and Mary Anning is a major figure in that field. Yet in every book about dinosaurs, she is used as the 'feminine quota' even though she never actually discovered dinosaurs, but other fossils. So I knew her story since I was little. Years ago, I had the opportunity to visit her village and her home, which has been turned into a museum about her life and paleontology. Fossil collectors still walk the shores of Lyme Regis today, and I thought this might be a good story to share with young and aspiring scientists. Mary Anning has been the subject of adult fiction recently, but your film is aimed at children. Can you elaborate on that choice? I love that young character, and above all, I realized in my research that there aren't many real young heroes brought to the screen. Besides Anne Frank, there are no real-life stories about children. We see many fictional characters, but almost no biopics focusing on childhood or children who accomplished great things at a young age. Even a film like 'Hola Frida!', built around Frida Kahlo's youth, is a way to bring forth a well-known figure who isn't remembered for her childhood accomplishments. With Mary Anning, I thought there was potential for such a story. Children are often overlooked by history, but in recent years, they've taken more space in public debate and politics, with figures such as Greta Thunberg. Sharing this striking story, almost an anachronistic one, of a girl from a low social background shunned by the educated class, in an era where women had few rights, yet who still manages to fulfill her desire for freedom and knowledge, that spoke to me. I hope it can speak to many children today. Her desires often clash with the world of adults, especially the Reverend's strict views on women and science. Why was it important to depict this opposition? Part of it was a choice, and part of it comes naturally once you start writing. She's young, he's the oldest character. It also embodies the rivalry between children's and adults' understandings of the world. Children are more open-minded and ready to accept change, to be amazed and to grasp transformation without clinging to the status quo. As was pointed out to me, and even if that wasn't planned at the beginning of the film, we live in a world where even scientific achievements are threatened. It feels crazy to me that certain things are now questioned, and it's disturbing to see this comeback in some societies. Regarding the visual style of the film, how was your collaboration with artistic director and graphic designer Marjolaine Perreten? This is the first film I've made that way, as I generally handle all the formatting. But I consider my style a bit cartoonish and naive, and I thought it didn't suit a much bigger project. I wanted a style that better suited the subject. Since Marjolaine and I are very good friends and colleagues, I naturally thought of her. I'm delighted she agreed. As a filmmaker herself, there was no guarantee she could take the time for this endeavour. In the end, she created the Bible, designed the visual style, directed the artistic vision, monitored the sets and managed everything perfectly. Her style brings forth great children's worlds, reminiscent of literature and picture books, with soft, round designs that balance the harsh nature of these cliffs of mud and clay swept by storms. Thanks to Marjolaine's style, the film doesn't necessarily soften the story, but it soothes the setting and clearly signals the intended audience. Can you elaborate on your directorial choices? While writing the film [with co-writers Pierre-Luc Granjon and Magalie Pouzal] and building it with Marjolaine, I had three films in mind: 'Billy Elliot' for the spirit, 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' and Yasujirō Ozu's 'Good Morning,' which fascinates me for its rare portrayal of rebellious children in a domestic setting. Ozu has a unique way of staging and framing, especially for children, alternating wide shots and close-ups to convey emotion. For 'Mary Anning,' I opted for relatively simple staging, little camera movement, close-ups and profiles. This also stemmed from the lack of experienced animated feature teams in Switzerland. To manage with these constraints, we opted for 2D rigging and animated puppets in Toon Boom rather than traditional 2D. It's more of a TV series approach, but we tried to give the film a polished look. Industry people may notice, but I don't make films for the industry—I make them for the audience. These choices allowed us to focus on what mattered, without overreaching. In fact, if you remove the Belgian co-production from the credits—who handled rigs, mixing and voice recording—it's almost a short film crew. Very few people were involved, which kept the project at a human scale. The film's music has a striking uniqueness, rarely heard in children's features. What drove that rather 'punk' choice? It was one of the main debate topics during production. People love it, people hate it—and I love that it sparks such discussion. From the start, I wanted anachronistic music to match Mary's slightly punk rock style. I knew Shyle Zalewski's work as a graphic novelist and cartoonist, but I discovered their music by accident. I was quickly convinced. They sent me hundreds of tracks. I tried several, which were re-recorded, and I asked them to compose the end credits too. I don't know the exact musical terms, but we described it as punk, teen lo-fi rock—and I like it that way. Are there details in the film that people might miss that are important to you? Plenty, mostly nerdy paleontological ones. If you wait until the very end, you'll see the first-ever illustration of a prehistoric scene: Duria Antiquior, drawn by geologist Henry De la Beche in 1830, based on Anning's fossil finds. De la Beche was her friend and created the drawing to raise money for her research. There are many such details, like Ms. Philpot's drawings using fossilized ink, and other paleontological nuggets hidden throughout. What would you say is the state of Swiss animation today? How has it changed throughout your career?I can recount the history of Swiss animated features on my two hands, so bringing 'Mary Anning' to Annecy is a miracle. I've seen two trends: more talented artists emerging from art schools, but funding isn't keeping up. There's no longer enough support for short films like I made at the start of my career, or like Schwizgebel made. Recently, measures have been taken to reduce or limit access to funding. That's a real problem, not just for animation but the whole industry. Meanwhile, the number of artists and directors is increasing. If we want a real Swiss animation industry, we need to act. Not being in the EU limits access to MEDIA programs and international collaboration, making it harder to produce big projects like features. Even Oscar-nominated directors like Claude Barras still struggle. I think there's a lack of confidence in Swiss cinema from policymakers, not seeing the long-term cultural and economic value it can bring. With 'Mary Anning,' we succeeded. I hope we can do it again, with the same talented team. I love cinema, and I love sharing films with the audience, starting with my own children. I hope I can keep doing that for a long time. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
USA Today
35 minutes ago
- USA Today
The best of English soccer star Poppy Pattinson in images
The best of English soccer star Poppy Pattinson in images Poppy Pattinson is a veteran player of the Women's Super League in England. The left-back plays for Brighton & Hove Albion. She has also spent time with Sunderland, Manchester City, Bristol City, and Everton. Pattinson has more than 165,000 followers on Instagram and is one of the more popular players in the sport. Poppy Pattinson Poppy Pattinson Poppy Pattinson Poppy Pattinson Poppy Pattinson Poppy Pattinson Poppy Pattinson Poppy Pattinson Poppy Pattinson Poppy Pattinson Poppy Pattinson Poppy Pattinson Poppy Pattinson
Elle
an hour ago
- Elle
Blue Ivy Carter Just Won Another Major Award
Blue Ivy Carter won big at last night's BET Awards. The 13-year-old took home the YoungStars Award for the second year in a row. She was nominated alongside actress Akira Akbar, YouTube star Graceyn 'Gracie' Hollingsworth, actress Heiress Harris, actress Melody Hurd, actor Thaddeus J. Mixson, actor Tyrik Johnson, and musician VanVan. Beyoncé and Jay-Z's eldest daughter was absent from yesterday's ceremony because she's currently in London for the European leg of the Cowboy Carter Tour. Along with her little sister Rumi, Blue has been performing at the show since the tour first began in April. In a recent interview with ELLE, Blue's grandmother, Tina Knowles, spoke about Beyoncé's choice to let Blue perform onstage, which she was initially apprehensive about. 'It was her mom's decision,' she said. 'But I encouraged it because my girls were allowed to express themselves creatively in any way they chose to. If they wanted to perform, then they got to perform. I tried to encourage everything that they wanted to do—every dream that they had.' She continued, 'So my personal two cents was, 'I hope you let her do it.' Her mother, being protective of her, thought she was too young. She was like, 'This is a heavy thing. It's 70,000 people out there sometimes, so that's a big deal for you to get in front of those people.' And so her response came from a place of protection, and mine came from a place of, 'Well, I would have let you do it.' And I remember saying that. But it wasn't my business, it was her mom's business. I just kind of helped the conversation along a bit.' There's still time to see the Carter girls at the Cowboy Carter Tour. For more information on where to get tickets, click here.
