You stimulated me to wonder which plays received the best reception - which brought the paying customers back most often. I wonder if anyone has done anything to find out?
William (or whoever wrote them) was a professional. He would no doubt write for his audience. And they apparently appreciated history, drama, comedy, and not a little whimsy.
I'm not sure how modern kids can learn "appreciation" in our school system, except incidentally, outside the curriculum.
You might recall how I got my kids to appreciate classical music. I simply played it all the time at home. The kids found it a part of their environment. Toronto had some very good FM stations back then, including one that played music on the large sized tape that is used to make commercial stuff. Very good sound.
You may know Mozart's Serenata Notturna, his Serenade #6 in D major. It's very sprightly. I found my #2 son whistling away one day while he was doing something else. He was whistling the Serenade without realizing where he had gotten it from.
It had worked.
How can we bring this sort of education into the grade schools? Or should we?
Harry
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Brian wrote:
Harry Pollard wrote:
But the only way for the arts to flourish in a free society is by attracting a large following. And the only way for that following to materialize is by education. Initially in the schools...
Hi Harry,
I wonder if the masses of 'groundlings' standing in the sloping yard of the Rose Theatre drinking pints and enjoying Shakespeare's plays were educated enough to enjoy the arts? Did they consider it ART or a great story? They took in Shakespeare's plays after watching bear and bull baiting. I also wonder what our ignorant masses are currently watching or listening to that will be considered ART in 2402? Beethoven upset a lot of patrons with his emotionally charged music; it had a very powerful effect on women which worried many men.
Take care,
Brian McAndrews
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Harry Pollard
Henry George School of LA
Box 655
Tujunga CA 91042
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Tel: (818) 352-4141
Fax: (818) 353-2242
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