Shakespeare & Biblical Interpretation

On Sunday night I finallywent to the Guthrie Theater’s splendid production of A Midsummer Night Dream…in time for the show’s closing performance. I got tickets at the last minute for my grandma and I to attend (which I was thrilled about). Two lovely women who I totally respect played roles (Kate Lawrey, the amazing actress, was Hermia; the lovely Ann Nelson was a fairy/townsperson). Joe Dowling directed the production. To anyone familiar with the Minneapolis theater scene it should come as no surprise that the show was outstanding. Joe Dowling is a world-renowned director with much creativity. Having once acted in this particular play in the past, I was especially interested to see how they would handle well (as they always do) the work of a classic playwright like Shakespeare.

This brings me to the point in selection of the above title for this post. You see, the show that the Guthrie put on was modernized and the way that they were able to take the timeless work of Shakespeare and make it come to life was indicative of great theatrical genius. Yet, I can not help but think that some people leveled criticism at the show for it’s insertion of modern phrasing of language and usage of modern costume and music that was not “true to the text.” Or still there may have been others bothered by the overtly sexual overtones of the play because in their minds classic literature should be construed as only a thing of propriety and polite society.

I do not know this for sure, but I can guess that there are some people who have voiced these objections because I’ve met their siblings in another realm of art…Biblical Interpretation. You see, as I sat in the audience marveling at the terribly scandalous bawdy humor of this renowned playwright I thought about how we so want to refine Shakespeare yet he remains a bit of a beautiful mess. Dowling and his cast and crew brought this messiness to life. They painted for me and the audience the closest thing to the true authorial intent that may be understood in today’s context.

And paint with grand, sweeping colors did they paint! Yet, so often people hear about Shakespeare and they think: “Old, dead white guy who wrote a bunch of stuff I can’t understand about silly pointless (and superfluous) things.”

Still, how often has this same debate raged over the interpretation of Scripture? How many times have I heard it said: “Well you know the Bible says…” To that I would reply: Yes, I understand that the Bible says those particular things, but what about the cultural context in which it was written? What are the depths and levels of meaning that we miss of the beautiful messiness of interpreting the ancient scripture? And how can we engage this task of interpretation having learned much from people like Joe Dowling who can remind and inspire and challenge those passionate about that task of interpretation to engage in the creative process of re-interpreting the ancient text in a way that makes the true depth of the text come to life in a way that both can move those who hear it to tears of laughter, sadness, or great joy (which is what happened on Sunday night).

This journey of interpretation is not always an easy one, but I think Sunday night reminded me though that this work is always worth the risk …for only then do you capture the beauty of the transforming power of a text that can and still speaks to the realities of our lives in ever transformed ways.

May all of those in this scene execute our roles with excitement over the possibilities that may be as we engage the old words to speak into the hearts in a way that is relevant, timeless, and always true to the beautiful messiness of books that we can’t quite contain.