A few days ago
yag1891

if I wrote a play how can I make universally appealing? noone likes Shakespeare love, so what do you all like?

I just love writing and I write but, my style is very very very different…if I were to write a play because I have a BIG project where I can do anything, and I want to write a play for my High School; the plot in my play would probably be sort of like a “Romeo and Juliet” thing, and of course, this is not what people like today. How should I say this? i don’t think people in my High School are going to be interrested in watching a play about two couples and their tragic downfall…ok…”Shakespeare plays are not allowed in my school because they are violent”. That’s lame…anyhow, I like Shakespeare movies and plays and 1500, 1600, 1700, and 1800 century books which are my favorite…but today is 2007, and I have a problem trying to figure out what people today would like. If you are a High S. student or anyone, please answer me this question: if I were to write a play, what do you think High School students would like? something that is not violent, and proper for High S. students.

Top 2 Answers
A few days ago
VWGirl

Favorite Answer

I’m a high school student, and I would prefer a play that is a comedy or at least has some funny parts in it. Today comedy is what everyone seems to be obsessed with, so if you want to appeal to a large group, that’s the way to go.
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A few days ago
Civis Romanus
Shakespeare’s plays are timeless precisely because he appealed to universal themes. Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann made a modern, up-to-date remake of “Romeo and Juliet”, starring Leonardo Di Caprio. He used the original play but the visuals were very, very today. Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim did the same thing with the musical “West Side Story”. So there’s no reason you can’t do the same thing!

Also, if you pull your punches and look over your shoulder, worrying about political correctness, you will limit yourself unnecessarily. There are ways to deal with adult themes, such as sex and violence, without being graphic or gory. (Most deaths in Shakespeare take place offstage.)

Moreover, you should write a play about a subject and characters you care about, instead of trying to please others. If the play doesn’t make you think or feel, laugh or cry, it won’t have that effect on anyone else.

No matter what some self-appointed critics may say, plays like “The Merchant of Venice” are timely and relevant for high-school students today, and should not be kept off their reading list because they are deemed unsuitable.

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