Scott Kaiser's interest in Shakespeare began when he was cast in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at age 15.
"It was a great way to meet high school girls," Kaiser said.
More than four decades later, Kaiser has performed, coached or directed every play in Shakespeare's canon during 28 seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
In his new book, "Conquering the Canon: A Life in Shakespeare," Kaiser reflects on that experience and offers a behind-the-scenes look at bringing Shakespeare's works to the stage.
Rather than literary criticism, Kaiser describes the practical challenges of rehearsing, performing and teaching Shakespeare. He also weighs in on debates over which plays belong in the canon.
Kaiser defines Shakespeare's canon as 38 plays and rejects efforts to expand the list.
"That's the number I've stuck with, and I'll probably go to my grave with that number," Kaiser said.
Kaiser remains a defender of Shakespeare's language and rhetoric. He argues that modern productions often cut up to 30% of the text from plays such as "Love's Labour's Lost" to accommodate shorter attention spans.
"Modern audiences do not have the listening ability that they even had 25 years ago," Kaiser said.
Kaiser said he built his career in Ashland because the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's repertory company provided an environment where actors could learn from one another over many years. He compared the camaraderie of a repertory ensemble to the Marines, saying performers support one another onstage and off.
Looking ahead, Kaiser sees opportunities to use technology to help audiences engage with Shakespeare's language. One possibility, he said, is using screens to provide real-time definitions of obscure Shakespearean words, including "honorificabilitudinitatibus," one of the longest words Shakespeare used.
"I think ultimately Shakespeare is probably going to go that way," Kaiser said.
Guest
- Scott Kaiser, author, Conquering The Canon: A Life In Shakespeare
