SHAKESPEARE'S PLAY ABOUT BERNIE MADOFF

Shakespeare in the park In this dreary, rained-out and recessionary summer, many in New York are finding respite in the rolling, flowering hills of Illyria. The Public Theatre has chosen "Twelfth Night" for its annual dose of free outdoor Shakespeare in Central Park. Directed by Daniel Sullivan, the production has been fantastically popular and critically acclaimed, not least for its grand and glitzy cast (Anne Hathaway stars as Viola, while Michael Cumpsty, Raúl Esparza, Audra McDonald and Julie White rollick about cracking jokes).

Barry Edelstein, a long-time director of Shakespeare, talks to The Economist about the production and the Bard in general. Recently appointed as the director of the Public Theatre's Shakespeare Lab, Edelstein is also the author of "Thinking Shakespeare" and "Bardisms: Shakespeare for All Occasions". He also has a few things to say about the relationship between the Bard and the American presidency--it turns out "Lincoln was a lifelong Bardolater". (Ron Rosenbaum, author of "The Shakespeare Wars", shellacked Edelstein with praise after witnessing a "Twelfth Night" rehearsal.)

In this Economist video, Edelstein explains why Broadway--and the theatre industry in general--is having such a fantastic year, despite New York's financial woes. He also explains his choice for the gender-bending "Twelfth Night" this summer, describing it as a beautiful, romantic, “three hour vacation from what’s difficult in life”, not "some tragedy with eight dead bodies on stage." But he warns that the Public intends to stage some more reflective productions soon, such as "Trollius and Cressida", a "minor, gnarly" and extremely difficult play about an ongoing Western imperial siege, and "Timon of Athens", about a wealthy man who loses all of his money and lives in exile. (He suggests Al Pacino would be great, though wishes Bernie Madoff could read for it.)

~ ARIEL RAMCHANDANI