SHAKESPEARE'S EAR - Tim Rayborn

I started to read this book on multiple occasions but would put it away barely getting past the Introduction each time.  The problem? I really didn't care for author Tim Rayborn's 'voice'. Rayborn makes little asides and and remarks that a middle school boy would find funny (generally sexually charged comments, like: 

The wonderfully named Emperor Heliogabalus (ca. 203–222 CE) apparently decided that mimes’ simulated sexual activity during shows simply would not do, so he ordered them to actually have sex onstage while performing. Well, I suppose it’s a job perk. ... Regardless, the mimes of the time were undoubtedly only too happy to incorporate him into their future farcical performances, live sex acts notwithstanding.

Or,

The gods weren’t happy about this, so they cut off Agdistis’s penis and buried it in the ground. From this sprang an almond tree—no jokes about “nuts.” The nymph Nana became pregnant from one of the almonds—ancient Greek contraception clearly sucked—and gave birth to the beautiful Attis.

This constant need on Rayborn's part to try to connect with the reader by being 'today' and casual and (presumably) funny, just grates ("He studied law at University of Bologna and then began a successful practice of screwing clients, thirteenth-century style.").

Fortunately, Rayborn seems to lighten up the further we get into the book and his asides are less frequent. Once we get beyond this middle school-like humor, we can actually get some valuable information. For instance, while I've been involved in the theatre for 40+ years, I discovered playwrights whose work I'm interested in reading (such as Pedro Muñoz Seca and Pietro Aretino).

There is more than a small section of the book dedicated to theatre traditions and superstitions ("There is probably no other field in the arts that is as plagued with superstitious beliefs as the theatrical world. The sheer number of superstitions is staggering, mystifying, and often comical."). I found a couple of them interesting, but this section seems to be directed more to the casual reader rather than those already deeply involved in the theatre arts.

Which leads to the biggest question surrounding the book... Who is this for? For those already involved in the theatre world, there's some, but not a lot, of material that is new (some of the less-well-known playwrights, for me). For those not truly involved in theatre, a lot of this material might be too eclectic. Interested in theatre history?  This book is probably right on target for you.

Looking for a good book? Tim Rayborn's Shakespeare's Ear is probably a good read for anyone about to make an appearance on Jeopardy! and who wants to learn as much random trivia as possible.  For the rest of us...? It's a bit of an annoying slog.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

* * * * * *

Shakespeare's Ear: Dark, Strange, and Fascinating Tales from the World of Theater

author: Tim Rayborn

publisher: Skyhorse

ISBN: 9781510719576

hardcover, 280 pages
 

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