Weekly Wrap-Up #3

In addition to downloading a million Much Ado About Nothing gifs to my phone this week, I:

* read Henry IV Part 1 (a little later than anticipated). I tried using the podcast Chop Bard instead of my usual Shmoop or SparkNotes to help me navigate, but I was having some trouble with this approach. First, twelve one-hour long episodes is a lot more time than I would normally devote to reading a play. Using my usual tactics, I could read and watch interpretations for at least two in that time. Second, I have had more trouble getting this podcast to play than anything in the history of ever. It's a lot of fun if you can make it work, but I can't, so I'm back to Shmoop.

I still recommend the podcast, but only if you're listening to the current season. It seems that every series that gets archived is going to be like pulling teeth to listen to regardless of the app you use.

* watched the Tennant/Tate Much Ado About Nothing with some good friends, including Blake, pictured here watching intently.

World's newest Shakespeare fan (he turns two this month), after the play was over, he shouted "Again!". My day was made.

I now own this production and feel it's worth it for the rewatch, but renting it is a good option too if you don't want to spend the money.

* did some tipsy highlighting of Much Ado (Act 5, Scene 1 specifically). I'm afraid to go back and look at the damage I caused... to both the scene and my liver. Ha! (I know this is a bit out of order, but I technically haven't read the play yet, so there's still more to come. It's not all drunk annotation and mixtapes.)

* finally received my 400th Anniversary Shakespeare set from the BBC, pictured here with my text. There are a couple of fun reasons to own this, but what sold me was getting an interpretation of Richard II through Richard III for not much more than buying Hamlet on its own. The rest is bonus.

* dropped the pointy corner of the giant text, pictured above, on my foot. I have a nice bruise.

And for fun:

* You've all watched Jim Meskimen's Richard III video, right? He does two dozen celebrity impressions during the course of Clarence's speech and it's wonderful.