The eNotes Blog A Shakespearean MashUp

A Shakespearean MashUp This summer the Los Angeles based Troubadour Theater Company is reprising its role as masters of the Shakespearean mash up. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you A Midsummer Saturday Nights Fever Dream. You may have guessed it, though you might not believe it: one theater company has poured all the funk, bellbottoms, and embarrassing dance moves of 70s disco into the worlds most timeless romantic comedy ever to be written in iambic pentameter. But lest you think this is a joke, you should know that the Troubies (as theyre affectionately known round these parts) are old hands at the genre. After all, these are the folks who brought you OthE.L.O., Fleetwood Macbeth, As U2 Like It, and every actors dream  Hamlet, the Artist Formerly Known as Prince of Denmark                  Ã‚                  I was fortunate enough to see the show this past Sunday night. Being a Troubadour show (whose cast is full of talented actors, dancers, circus clowns, and comedians), it had a playful blend of improvised laughs and Shakespearean humor, making it a fun way to bring Shakespeare into modern times. Then again, Im a sucker for a Shakespearean remix, whether it be Ten Things I Hate About You or the recently released Joss Whedon adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. To me, nothing proves the timelessness of the Bards work more than the masses of entertainers who clamor to reinvent his work some four centuries later. Undoubtedly, students feel the same way. Year after year, teachers struggle to devise methods to make Shakespeares Early Modern English language relatable to teenagers. Which got me thinking why not incorporate the idea of a Shakespearean mash up into a class project? For students who have difficulty getting past the words and on to the still very relevant plot, it could be a great way to help students really grasp a plays central ideas. Plus, what with the popularity of Glee-style mash ups, student engagement would surely increase. What say you? But back to the Troubies. If youre in the LA area I highly recommend finding out more about the groups past and future productions over on their home page. A Midsummer Saturday Nights Fever Dream has just added new shows, which means itll run until July 16th. Catch it if you can! What Shakes shake ups have you enjoyed in the past? How do you feel about a Shakespearean mash up? Tell us your thoughts in a comment!

8 Bad Habits that Make You Look Unprofessional

8 Bad Habits that Make You Look Unprofessional Everyone has some bad work habits. You might be the most punctual, inoffensively friendly person around, but there’s always something that occasionally causes colleagues to roll their eyes. It’s a fact of life- none of us is perfect. However, recognizing these bad habits, and working hard to correct them, can do a lot to keep your work reputation as high as possible. Here are 8 bad habits that make you look unprofessional. 1. Being a Debbie DownerYou know the type- the other shoe is always about to drop, the successful completion of one project just means another one is around the corner, everyone else is just so incompetent all the time. You may not even realize how much you’re complaining, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on.2. ProcrastinatingCounterintuitively, multitasking makes it so much easier to procrastinate: â€Å"I’ll do these three things now, and that other thing later.† Then that fourth thing gets pushed back, and pu shed back until it’s a week later and you’re still not done with it. This is especially problematic if the delayed task is something needed by someone else, because then it makes you look undependable.3. OverpromisingOverpromising is dangerous, because either you set yourself up for an onslaught of extra work, or you fail to deliver, which means your professionalism takes a hit. Colleagues and bosses need to know they can depend on you to deliver on time, and part of that is knowing the limits of what you can and can’t do within a certain timeframe.4. Trying to please everyoneBeing a people-pleaser is an impulse that comes naturally to a lot of us†¦after all, you want everyone to think you’re awesome at delivering awesomeness. But that can easily shift over into Pushoverville, where people take advantage of your eager nature. It can also come off as sucking up, or cause frustration when you’re trying to placate one boss who wants things one wa y, a colleague who wants them another way, and someone from a different department who needs things done a third way. It’s much better to use your judgment find the best way to handle something, and make sure that everyone knows why you’re doing it your way.5. Swearing like a pirateMany workplaces have become more casual in dress and attitude in general, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to swear up a storm, especially when you’re talking about work. Everyone has slip-ups when they’re especially frustrated, but if you drop the f-bomb in front of coworkers more than a few times, it shows a lack of professionalism and care about how you present yourself in public. In terms of self-restraint, think broadcast network standards, not HBO.6. Running lateThere’s always a reason- traffic on the commute, dog ate the car keys, your favorite TV chef was showing you how to make bacon soufflà ©s on the Today Show. Chronic lateness just never makes y ou look good, even if you have one of those jobs where it doesn’t really matter if you’re at your desk at 9:00 or 9:20. Being there on time (except in those times when there really is a terrible commute) shows everyone that you’re ready to get things done.7. Making excusesWhen things go wrong, don’t be that guy/gal who always has a bunch of excuses ready to go. Excuses sound exactly like what they are, and when you use them, everyone around knows it. If things go wrong, own it and resolve to move on, and people will respect your honesty and drive to get things right.8. Being too flirtyBoundaries? What boundaries? Even if the flirting is harmless, you don’t want to run afoul of any sexual harassment policies your company has- especially if you don’t know the flirtee very well. Also, if it seems like you’re flirting to get ahead at work, that won’t endear you to your colleagues. Complimenting coworkers is fine, but try to keep it brief, friendly, and professional.Do any of these sound uncomfortably familiar to you? If so, don’t worry- we all have stuff to work on when it comes to workplace behavior. And there’s always time to recognize, correct, and start fresh!