I was wondering last night, has anybody done a meaningful version of Midsummer Night’s Dream that focuses entirely on the Mechanicals? Imagine just cutting out all everything having to do with the young Athenians and you’re left with simple entertainment – they rehearse their play for the wedding of the Duke, the fairies interfere, all is resolved, and we get the climax / happy ending when they do it fact get chosen to perform for the Duke. Not saying it would be a great show on its own, but I could see it having some legs.
There is an SF book by Kage Baker called _Rude Mechanicals_ which is about assorted mayhem occurring around the filming of _Dream_. It is hilarious; it is brilliant. Highly recommended.
It’s also available as a well-done audiobook (in .mp3 format) at http://subterraneanpress.com/index.php/magazine/spring2007/audio-rude-mechanicals-by-kage-baker/
Downloaded! Thanks for the tip.
Kage Baker sounds very familiar to me but I can’t seem to place her (it is a her, right?) Did this author do other Shakespeare-derivative works?
By accident I came upon another theory in the Shakespeare Authorship subject.: Chris Marlowe the illigimate son of Queen Elizabeth I. My my,talk about a “cover-up”.