Filming Shakespeare’s Poems for 21st Century AudienceVocabulary and Expressions

Filming Shakespeare’s Poems for 21st Century Audience
   Nothing like the Nobel Prize existed during the time of William Shakespeare. The first Nobel Prizes were not awarded until 1901, nearly 300 years after the death of the so-called " Bard of Avon". Next year marks the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth. His plays are still widely performed all over the world. But for many people, Shakespeare is something they study in school, not something they read or watch for pleasure.
   One American theater company is trying to change that. Jim Tedder reports.
   Ross Williams studied acting and directing in school. He launched a theater company called the New York Shakespeare Exchange. Ross Williams loves Shakespeare. But, he knows that many people might not share that love. He says 400-year-old English is tough to understand, and many people think of Shakespeare as dusty and dull. " So I started thinking about how I could deliver Shakespeare to people in small chunks, things that would be manageable and get people to experience Shakespeare in their day-to-day lives without having to make the commitment to go to see a full show. And so we started with the sonnets because they’re contained. "
   Sonnets are 14-line poems, and Shakespeare is one of the most famous practitioners. Ross Williams and his partners launched the Sonnet Project as part of their theater company. The group hopes to film and release each of Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets before the great English writer’s birthday next April. Each piece is being filmed in a different location in New York City.