No, Coriolanus doesn’t rhyme with … well, let me put it this way:

Say “CORE”.

Now say “EYE”.

Now imagine that Alanis Morissette spells her first name with an O, and say “Olanis”.

Anyway, we’re finishing it on Zoom, reading Act V on September 4th. You can be a part of the fun, by replying to this message and asking for an invitation. We meet at 7pm to watch scenes from the play on video, then start reading ourselves from 7:30pm.

Go to the Files tab for more information about the play. Hover on, then click on Coriolanus.

Then join us in reading Act V of Coriolanus, September 4th, on Zoom.

“A goddess on a mountain top was burning like a silver flame”, the minstrels teach us. Adonis, offered the chance to ascend “the summit of beauty and love”, chose to go hunting instead, and got eviscerated by a boar. Venus in her disappointment uses his blood to color flowers in his memory.

Meanwhile, every man on earth is screaming at the page, “Dude, she is not only the goddess of love, she’s the most beautiful being in the universe! Go hunting some other time!” William Shakespeare, taking a break from his theatrical duties, attempts to make all this make sense, while still getting it to rhyme.

Join us on Monday, July 3rd, as we read Venus and Adonis on Zoom.

This reading will not include watching a video, so we will begin at 7:30pm. Leave a message below if you want an invitation.

Go to shakespearetokyo.news.blog/venus-and-adonis/ for more information about the play. Hover on the Files tab, then click on Venus and Adonis. Then join us for the reading at 7:30 pm, July 3rd, on Zoom.

Henry VIII had six wives. Too many for Shakespeare to write about in just one play, so he just covers the first two.

Bet you didn’t know Shakespeare wrote about Henry VIII, did you? But as the subtitle suggests, “All is True!” Join us on Monday, June 5th, and see for yourself.

We meet on Zoom at 7pm to watch scenes from the play on video, then start reading ourselves from 7:30pm. Leave a message below if you want an invitation.

Go to https://shakespearetokyo.news.blog/…/07/henry-the-eighth/ for more information about the play. Hover on the Files tab, then click on Henry VIII. Then join us for the reading, at 7pm June 5, on Zoom.

“A horse, a horse…!”

On Monday March 6th we see off King Richard III. We meet at 7pm to watch scenes from the play on video, then start reading ourselves from 7:30pm. Leave a message below if you want an invitation.

Go to shakespearetokyo.news.blog/richard3/ for more information about the play. Hover on the Files tab, then click on Richard 3.

Shakespeare lovers can join us on Monday, March 6th, on Zoom, to finish reading the Tragedy of King Richard III.

My father, whose knowledge of literature is even more abstruse than mine, once posed this riddle: What would be the result of a collaboration between Shakespeare, American playwright Arthur Miller and German novelist Thomas Mann?

Answer: Death of a Salesman in Venice (Now you see where I get my sense of humor from.)

A somewhat easier riddle is at the center of our current play, The Merchant of Venice. For the hand of the lovely Portia, the suitor has only to choose between a box made of silver, gold, or lead.

Not obvious which one to pick? Then join us for our reading on Monday, Dec. 19th, on Zoom. We meet at 7pm to watch scenes from the play on video, then start reading ourselves from 7:30pm. Leave a message below if you want an invitation.

Go to https://wordpress.com/view/shakespearetokyo.news.blog for more information about the play. Hover on the Files tab, then click on Merchant of Venice.

Then join us for The Merchant of Venice, December 19th on Zoom.

Fun fact: Henry VI was not intended to be a trilogy. Part 2 was originally titled The First Part of the Contention Between the Two Famous Houses of York and Lancaster, and Part 3 The True Tragedie of Richard Duke of Yorke, and the death of good King Henrie the Sixt. At the time, Parts 2 and 3 were collectively known as The Whole Contention Between …. What we now know as Part One of Henry VI was written and included with the other plays later — possibly years later.

But now … let’s finish Part 3!

It’s Nov. 14 at 7pm on Zoom. We will watch scenes from the play on video, then start reading ourselves from 7:30pm. Leave a message below if you want an invitation to see the brutal end of the Henry VI trilogy.

Go to https://wordpress.com/view/shakespearetokyo.news.blog for more information about the play. Hover on the Files tab, then click on 3 Henry VI.

Then join us for the finale of Henry VI Part 3 November 14th on Zoom.

After so many months of the dysfunctional Plantagenet family, it’s time for a romantic comedy, albeit one with the odd coupling of Helena and Bertram. While not physical antagonists the match of Kate and Petruchio, nor verbal sparring partners like Beatrice and Benedick, they are separated by the barrier of class: he is a nobleman, and she is — gasp! — a commoner.

Have the servants fetch my smelling salts!

We meet on Zoom at 7pm to watch scenes from the play on video, then start reading ourselves from 7:30pm. Leave a message below if you want an invitation.

Go to https://wordpress.com/view/shakespearetokyo.news.blog for more information about the play. Hover on the Files tab, then click on All’s Well.

Then join us for the conclusion of All’s Well That Ends Well September 5th on Zoom.

“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.”

Yes! Shakespeare with his most penetrating observation of all! It’s all there in our next serving of history, Henry VI Part 2.

Join us for the finale, on July 25th. I can’t promise that it’s all true, but where it’s not entirely historically accurate, it’s better!

We meet on Zoom at 7pm to watch scenes from the play on video, then start reading ourselves from 7:30pm. Leave a message below if you want an invitation.

Go to https://wordpress.com/view/shakespearetokyo.news.blog for more information about the play. Hover on the Files tab, then click HENRY 6 2.

Then be there for the fun as we conclude Henry VI Part 2 on July 25th on Zoom.

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Come see the evil Don John get his comeuppance, and Beatrice and Benedick also get what they deserve (each other, of course). That’s the thrilling conclusion of Much Ado About Nothing, on May 23rd.

We meet on Zoom at 7pm to watch scenes from the play on video, then start reading ourselves from 7:30pm. Leave a message below if you want an invitation.

You can see the summary and some background information on the files page of this site. Hover on the Files tab, then click MUCH ADO.

Then join us on May 23rd for Much Ado About Nothing.

Spring means cherry blossoms, warmer weather, sleepwalking out of guilt over killing your king … actually, that last one only applies to the dysfunctional Macbeth family. Join us in reading Shakespeare’s classic tragedy on April 4th.

We meet on Zoom at 7pm to watch scenes from the play on video, then start reading ourselves from 7:30pm. Leave a message below if you want an invitation. You can see the summary and some background information on the files page of this site. Hover on the Files tab, then click MACBETH.

As if to taunt me for my observations about Spring, it just started snowing here in Ibaraki. Oh well. We can still enjoy Macbeth April 4th on Zoom.