Americans and Shakespeare

MICHAEL KAHN: I think Americans are as good at Shakespeare as anybody. One thing is because of the performance style of the American musical, which is energetic, a song is big aria, we're good at that. And we also use our bodies, and we also have imagination, so if you can get that kind of an actor to also enjoy the words, enjoy the process of poetry, I think we're as good as anybody.

Now, what's interesting is I think the English are becoming more like us and we have taken from the English what we like. I don't think the styles are as different as they used to be. Certainly the English are trying very hard to be human in Shakespeare, and we're trying very hard to not screw up the words. What the English are very fond of saying is "You know, I come in at quarter of eight and I put on my makeup and I go on and I don't have any emotional response to what I'm doing." We're very fond of saying, "We live through the part." That seems to be the biggest cultural difference. I don't think the styles are so different anymore. I think there's been a, you know, globalization of Shakespeare. I think the Americans have had a lot to do with it.