#keith hamilton cobb

[vintagetvstars]

Keith Hamilton Cobb Vs. Michael Shanks

Propaganda

Keith Hamilton Cobb - (Andromeda (seasons 1-4), All My Children, The Young and the Restless (2003 - 2004)) - He is a classically trained actor and it shows no matter what he is doing. He was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 1996.

Michael Shanks - (Stargate SG-1 (seasons 1-7)) - No text propaganda

- No Negative Propaganda Please -

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Additional propaganda below the cut

Michael Shanks:

[roseshavethoughts]

Cold Light of Day (1990)

Cold Light of Day (1990) #Review

Synopsis- February, 1983. Detectives are called to a residential address in the London suburbs following reports that the drains have been clogged by human remains. Director- Fhiona-Louise Cast- Bob Flag, Claire King, Keith Hamilton Cobb Genre- Horror | Crime | Drama Released- 1989 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. Cold Light of Day, directed by Fhiona-Louise, delves into the dark and disturbing…

[butchhamlet]

do you have any good shakespeare retelling book recs?

what a beautiful time to ask this, says guy who has left this ask collecting cobwebs in his inbox for months! because guess who has two thumbs and just finished queen goneril by erin shields! WHAT a fucking play, holy SHIT, this is some of the best characterization of the lear sisters that i've ever read and the exploration of womanhood as filtered through class + race + shitty families + political maneuvering is so so so good. also the things shields does with the og playtext... chef's fucking KISS

anyway, recency bias aside, i've been meaning to make a post about my favorite shakespeare retellings for a while, and i think i never actually did it because i wanted to make a lear retelling ranking list and then i never read some of the ones on my TBR. so whatever. the learlist will happen someday. here are my favorites in general. (here is my goodreads shelf for the retellings i've read, good and bad, and here is the shelf for the ones i have yet to read.)

in no particular order:

a thousand acres by jane smiley: outsold. epitome of what makes an effective retelling--a book that clearly has something to say about and to the original text, but that also isn't afraid to diverge, to exclude here and zoom in there. ungraciously, this is "lear on a farm" and it starts a little slow, but holy fucking shit, i can't do justice in a paragraph to the way this book unraveled me. one of the best books of all time mayhaps. also, introduced the edmund character by describing his ass. 10/10

the last true poets of the sea by julia drake: i don't read that much YA anymore but jesus fucking christ. books tailored for me specifically. twelfth night retelling about siblings + mental illness + being bisexual + love triangles that actually make sense (emotions are confusing!) instead of being contrived + beautiful description + excellent dialogue + THE MENTAL ILLNESS. books that made me start crying in zoom class in 2020

rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead by tom stoppard: kind of a cop-out answer because we all know this one. but that does not detract from how good it is. this is one of those plays, at least for me, that makes me think, "ohhhhhh, THIS is what theater can do. this is using its medium to the absolute utmost." it is so clever and it makes me want to cry. i think about "i don't know. it's the same sky" more often than i can say

american moor by keith hamilton cobb: not exactly a retelling, but a one-man play about a Black man auditioning for the lead role in Othello, tangling as he does with his relationship with shakespeare's work and cultural dominance. suuuuuch a good fucking play even beyond the analysis of othello (which is excellent); the language is so fucking incredible. everyone who likes shakespeare should read this.

teenage dick by mike lew: modern teenage richard iii; this one's more reimagining than retelling, because it diverges pretty sharply from the plot of richard iii, but god, it's so fucking fun. and upsetting! really upsetting also.

foul is fair by hannah capin: i will be so real. i read this in high school and some of the YA books i've revisited since did not hold up for me. so idk if i can tell you this is "good" with my full chest. but the pitch is "lady macbeth gets sexually assaulted at a party and decides to fucking kill the boys who did it" and i stayed up until like 1am to finish it because it was such a vicious gleaming wild ride

the stars undying by emery robin: does this count? hard to say, because it's just as much a retelling of roman history than shakespeare's antony and cleopatra (honestly, more, since it focuses on the era where caesar and cleopatra were lovers, which is before shakespeare's play). but i'm counting it anyway because it's bisexual space opera cleopatra and it's the best book i've read so far in 2024 and it's making me crazy and i'm writing a thesis on it < genuinely

peerless by jihae park: macbeth, but college applications, featuring asian macbeths (they're twin sisters >:3) who think their classmate has taken their place in their dream school because of affirmative action/DEI. this play is absolutely VICIOUS. it's macbeth x heathers. think it mirrors macbeth in faltering a little in its final stretch, but it still fucks hard

the wednesday wars by gary d. schmidt: okay, not a retelling; this is about a preteen boy in the 60s. but it's one of the best most genuine and heartwarming books i've ever read and it manages to be hilarious while also foregoing cheap slapstick punching-low humor for a hell of a lot of warmth and passion. and the main character interacts with shakespeare a lot as a running theme so i can justify putting it on this list. #evangelizing

of course, i would be remiss not to mention that @suits-of-woe / @mjulianwrites has written the best take on Two Gentlemen of Verona to ever exist, and i mean that quite seriously. unfortunately it hasn't been published yet so we'll all just have to prayer-circle about it. i would also be remiss not to take the opportunity to. uh. coughs. do a bit of casual self-promo. if you 1. have ocd 2. have gender or 3. think about malvolio a lot. boy do i have the novella for you

will definitely add to this when i read more retellings; feel free to drop recs in the tags/replies/reblogs/my askbox!

[socialshakespeare]

An (Updated) Note on Othello

Othello is widely - we think rightfully - considered one of Shakespeare’s best works, and part of that is because it engages with racial prejudice. We don't want to reduce a play's complexity down to one theme, but it's an important one to address directly; and to acknowledge that Othello's plot and characters have been used to promote racist ideas throughout its history.

With that in mind we've put together the following list of links and recommendations. Please note, this list has a general focus we felt appropriate for performing Othello during black history month; it barely skims the surface of the fascinating and important material out there. Check the notes on the original post we made on this topic for more links, and if you have any recommendations to share, please do!

Read:

Shakespeare in a Divided America by James Shapiro

The Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare and Race, edited by Patricia Akhimie (We suspect you can find this cheaper elsewhere - also, Dr. Akhimie and the author of another chapter are guests on episode 177 of Shakespeare Unlimited, linked below)

The Great White Bard: How to Love Shakespeare While Talking About Race by Farah Karim-Cooper (with excerpt)

White People in Shakespeare, edited by Arthur L. Little, Jr. (with excerpt)

Othello and the “plain face” Of Racism by Martin Orkin

Watch/Listen:

A special thank you to @constance-ophelia for bringing to our attention the play American Moor by Keith Hamilton Cobb! That link is to the play website's own page of educational resources, and we encourage you to look at the clips of the play and interviews given by the author as well.

Desdemona by Toni Morrison (link is to a clip of a performance)

'Dear Mister Shakespeare' - Othello (ft. Ashley Thomas) | Shakespeare Lives

Is Othello a racist play? Full audio version | Royal Shakespeare

Shakespeare Unlimited: Episode 20 - African Americans and Shakespeare (with transcript)

Shakespeare Unlimited: Episode 177 - Shakespeare's Language and Race (with transcript)

Shakespeare Unlimited: Episode 200 - Ian Smith on Black Shakespeare (with transcript)

Shakespeare Unlimited: Episode 201 - Debra Ann Byrd on Becoming Othello (with transcript)

Engage:

Black Lives Matter

Throughlines "offers a variety of freely accessible teaching materials to help you incorporate premodern critical race studies into your teaching." We believe the resources can also be useful to anyone looking to self-study.

Teaching Social Justice Through Shakespeare

Thank you!

[adragonsfriend]

Mace Windu: “only imposing if you see him that way”

Fuck it I’m bringing my Othello class into this again.

So we read American Moor by Keith Hamilton Cobb (review, full text is available as a free pdf if you look it up), which is a play that comments on the experience of black men who play the role of Othello as well as of course more generally on the experience of black men in the United States by showing the interior thoughts of an experienced black actor auditioning for the role of Othello in front of an inexperienced white director. There’s this line, it’s not even dialogue, it’s part of the description of what the actor is doing for the pre-show in the stage directions:

“He is a tall man, powerfully built and handsome, and only imposing if you see him that way.”

—American Moor, page 5

Sound like anyone we might know?

This caught my eye because I have noticed a bit of a pattern. Even very well meaning SW media—like Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover and fics that really love him—often goes out of its way to describe Mace Windu as intimidating and imposing.

And yeah on some level a tall man with muscles who knows how to fight might just be imposing, but to be honest I never remember Qui-gon Jinn being described that way, or Ki-Adi Mundi, or really any other tall, male Jedi. Dooku is sometimes described as intimidating, but it is usually framed in terms of either his Sith personality or his skill with a saber, not his physicality. Only some fics go out of their way to even describe Anakin as physically imposing.

And like I say, many of these works I’m noting are ones that have very good intentions and otherwise make mainly good, interesting moves with Mace’s character (works that take an explicitly negative view of Mace are a whole other can of worms I’m not addressing here). This is something that is being picked up from a deeply embedded culture of racism, not (in these cases at least) malicious. But that means writers, especially white writers—even if we have great intentions—we have to stay careful and aware of this. Readers aren’t off the hook either. It is through reading, and reading with a lot of love, that this pattern emerged to me.

Keep noticing these things, keep reading, keep writing, and maybe above all, keep revising.

Personally, I’m gonna be going back through my Mace Windu writing to check for this specifically.

[gnomebud]

readings from high school/college that changed me in some way:

the haunting of hill house by shirley jackson

ficciones by jorge luis borges

othello (and subsequently american moor by keith hamilton cobb)

cyrano de bergerac by edmond rostand

the girl-thing who went out for sushi by pat cadigan

the woman warrior by maxine hong kingston

fun home by alison bechdel

readings from high school that did absolutely jack shit even after having to do them AGAIN in college:

dubliners by james joyce

[incrediblyfastfilms]

INVASION of the BODY SNATCHERS (1978) written by W.D. Richter (from the novel by Jack Finney) produced by Robert Solo directed by Philip Kaufman starring Donald Sutherland Brooke Adams Leonard Nimoy Jeff Goldblum Veronica Cartwright Art Hindle cinematography by Michael Chapman edited by Douglas Stewart music by Danny Zeitlin

JAWS (1975) written by Carl Gottlieb (from the novel by Peter Benchley) produced by Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown directed by Steven Spielberg starring Roy Scheider Robert Shaw Richard Dreyfus Lorraine Gary Murray Hamilton Carl Gottlieb cinematography by Bill Butler edited by Verna Fields music by John Williams

E r a s e r h e a d (1977) written, directed and produced by David Lynch starring Jack Nance Charlotte Stewart Allen Joseph Jeanne Bates Judith Roberts Laurel Near Jack Fisk cinematography by Frederick Elmes Herbert Caldwell edited by David Lynch sound design by Lynch w/ Alan Splet special effects by Lynch w/ Frederick Elmes

P s y c h o (1960) written by Joseph Stefano (from the novel by Robert Bloch) directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock starring Anthony Perkins Vera Miles John Gavin Janet Leigh Martin Balsam Simon Oakland cinematography by John L. Russell edited by George Tomasini music by Bernard Hermann

A L I E N (1979) written by Dan O'Bannon (story by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Sushett) directed by Ridley Scott produced by Gordon Carroll David Giler Walter Hill starring Tom Skerritt Sigourney Weaver Veronica Cartwright John Hurt Harry Dean Stanton Yaphet Kotto Ian Holm cinematography by Derek Vanlint edited by Terry Rawlings music by Jerry Goldsmith

John Carpenter's The THING (1982) written by Bill Lancaster (from the novella "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell) directed by John Carpenter produced by David Foster Lawrence Turman Wilbur Stark starring Kurt Russell A. Wilford Briley T.K. Carter David Clennon Keith David Richard Dysart Charles Hallahan Peter Maloney Richard Masur Donald Moffat Joel Polis Thomas Waites cinematography by Dean Cundey edited by Todd Ramsay music by Ennio Morricone

The Exorcist (1973) written by William Peter Blatty (from his novel) directed by William Friedkin produced by William Peter Blatty Noel Marshall David Salven starring Ellen Burstyn Max Von Sydow Jason Miller Lee J. Cobb Jack MacGowran Kitty Winn Mercedes McCambridge Linda Blair cinematography by Owen Roizman edited by Norman Gay Evan Lottman music by Jack Nitzche "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield

R e p u l s i o n (1965) written by Roman Polanski Garard Brach screenplay adaptation by David Stone directed by Roman Polanski produced by Gene Gutowski starring Catherine Deneuve Ian Hendry John Fraser Peter Wymark Yvonne Furneaux cinematography by Gilbert Taylor edited by Alastair McIntyre music by Chico Hamilton

THE SHINING (1980) written by Diane Johnson Stanley Kubrick (from the novel by Stephen King) directed by Stanley Kubrick produced by Stanley Kubrick w/ Jan Harlan starring Jack Nicholson Shelley Duvall Danny Lloyd Scatman Crothers Barry Nelson Philip Stone Joe Turkel cinematography by John Alcott edited by Ray Lovejoy music by Wendy Carlos Rachel Elkind

Night of the Living Dead (1968) written by John Russo George A. Romero directed by George A. Romero produced by Karl Hardman Russell Streiner starring Duane Jones Judith O'Dea Karl Hardman Marilyn Eastman Keith Wayne Kyra Schon Judith Ridley cinematography by George A. Romero (uncr.) edited by George A. Romero (uncr.) Hugh Daly

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) written by James V. Hart (from the novel by Bram Stoker) directed by Francis Ford Coppola produced by Francis Ford Coppola Charles Mulvehill Fred Fuchs Michael Apted Robert O'Conner starring Gary Oldman Winona Ryder Anthony Hopkins Keanu Reeves Cary Elwes Richard E. Grant Billy Campbell Sadie Frost Monica Belluci Tom Waits cinematography by Michael Ballhaus edited by Anne Goursaud Glen Scantlebury Nicholas C. Smith music by Wojciech Kilar

TWIN PEAKS fire walk with me (1992) written by David Lynch Robert Engels (from the television series created by David Lynch and Mark Frost) directed by David Lynch produced by David Lynch Mark Frost Gregg Fienberg Johanna Ray John Wentworth starring Sheryl Lee Ray Wise Moira Kelly Grace Zabriskie Chris Isaak Kiefer Sutherland David Lynch Miguel Ferrer Harry Dean Stanton David Bowie Michael J. Anderson Frank Silva Al Strobel Jurgen Prochnow Dana Ashbrook James Marshall Frances Bay Catherine E. Coulson Kimberly Ann Cole Walter Olkewicz Lenny Von Dohlen Madchen Amick Peggy Lipton Julee Cruise Kyle Machlachlan cinematography by Ron Garcia edited by Mary Sweeney music by Angelo Badalamenti

Let the Right One In (2008) written by John Ajvide Lyndqvist (from his novel) directed by Tomas Alfredson produced by Frida Asp starring Kare Hedbrant Lina Leandersson Per Ragnar Henrik Dahl Ika Nord cinematography by Hoyte Van Hoytema edited by Tomas Alfredson Dino Jonsater music by Johan Soderqvist

W A R of the W O R L D S (2005) written by Josh Friedman David Koepp directed by Steven Spielberg produced by Kathleen Kennedy Damian Collier Paula Wagner Colin Wilson starring Tom Cruise Tim Robbins Dakota Fanning Miranda Otto Justin Chatwin Amy Ryan cinematography by Janusz Kaminski edited by Michael Kahn music by John Williams

Hannibal (2001) written by Steve Zaillian David Mamet directed by Ridley Scott produced by Martha De Laurentiis Dino De Laurentiis Ridley Scott starring Anthony Hopkins Julianne Moore Ray Liotta Gary Oldman Frankie Faison Giancarlo Giannini Francesca Neri Zeljko Ivanek Hazelle Goodman cinematography by John Mathieson editing by Pietro Scalia music by Hans Zimmer

The Hunger (1983) written by Ivan Davis Michael Thomas (from the novel by Whitley Strieber) directed by Tony Scott produced by Richard Shepherd starring Catherine Deneuve Susan Sarandon David Bowie Cliff De Young cinematography by Stephen Goldblatt edited by Pamela Power music by Michel Rubini Denny Jaeger

DON'T LOOK NOW (1973) written by Allan Scott Chris Bryant (based on the novella by Daphne Du Maurier) directed by Nicholas Roeg produced by Peter Katz starring Donald Sutherland Julie Christie Hilary Mason Clelia Matania Renato Scarpa cinematography by Anthony Richmond editing by Graeme Clifford music by Pino Donnagio

Prisoners (2013) written by Aaron Guzikowski directed by Denis Villeneuve produced by Broderick Johnson Kira Davis Andrew A. Kosove Adam Kolbrenner starring Jake Gylenhaal Hugh Jackman Maria Bello Viola Davis Melissa Leo Terrence Howard Paul Dano cinematography by Roger Deakins edited by Joel Cox Gary Roach music by Johann Johannsson

The Company of Wolves (1984) written by Neil Jordan Angela Carter (from the short story in Angela Carter's book "The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories") directed by Neil Jordan produced by Chris Brown Stephen Woolley starring Sarah Patterson David Warner Angela Lansbury Micha Bergese Stephen Rea cinematography by Bryan Loftus edited by Rodney Holland music by George Fenton

A Quiet Place (2018) written by Bryan Woods Scott Beck John Krasinski directed by John Krasinski produced by Michael Bay Andrew Form Brad Fuller starring Emily Blunt John Krasinski Millicent Simmonds Noah Jupe Cade Woodward cinematography by Charlotte Bruus Christensen edited by Christopher Tellefsen music by Marco Beltrami

W O R L D W A R Z (2013) written by Matthew Michael Carnahan Drew Goddard & Damon Lindelof (from the novel novel by Max Brooks) directed by Marc Forster produced by Brad Pitt Dede Gardner Jeremy Kleiner Ian Bryce starring Brad Pitt Mireille Enos Daniella Kertesz James Badge Dale Peter Capaldi Pierfrancesco Favino Ludi Boeken Matthew Fox Fana Mokoena David Morse cinematography by Ben Seresin edited by Roger Barton Matt Chesse music by Marco Beltrami

LOST H i g h w a y (1997) written by David Lynch Barry Gifford directed by David Lynch produced by Mary Sweeney Tom Sternberg Deepak Nayar starring Bill Pullman Patricia Arquette Balthazar Getty Natasha Gregson Wagner Robert Loggia Robert Blake Michael Massee Jack Nance Henry Rollins Gary Busey cinematography by Peter Deming edited by Mary Sweeney music by Angelo Badalamenti

N e a r D a r k (1987) written by Kathryn Bigelow Eric Red directed by Kathryn Bigelow produced by Edward S. Feldman Steven-Charles Jaffe Charles Meeker starring Adrian Pasdar Jenny Wright Lance Henriksen Bill Paxton Jenette Goldstein Tim Thomerson cinematography by Adam Greenberg edited by Howard Smith music by Tangerine Dream

S e c o n d s (1966) written by Lewis John Carlino (from the novel by David Ely) directed by John Frankenheimer produced by John Frankenheimer Edward Lewis starring Rock Hudson Salome Jens John Randolph Will Geer Jeff Corey Murray Hamilton Frances Reid cinemtography by Tak Fujimoto edited by David Newhouse Ferris Webster music by Jerry Goldsmith

Nosferatu The Vampyre (1979) written by Werner Herzog w/ Tom Shachtman Martje Grohmann directed by Werner Herzog produced by Walter Saxer Werner Herzog Michael Gruskoff starring Klaus Kinski Isabelle Adjani Bruno Ganz Roland Topor Walter Landengast Martje Grohmann cinematography by Jorg Schmidt-Reitwein edited by Beate Mainka-Jellinghaus music by Florian Fricke Popol Vuh

30 DAYS of NIGHT (2007) written by Steve Niles Stuart Beattie Brian Nelson (from the graphic novel by Steve Niles Ben Templesmith) directed by David Slade produced by Sam Raimi Robert Tapert starring Josh Hartnett Melissa George Danny Huston Ben Foster Mark Boone Jr. Amber Sainsbury Megan Franich Manu Bennett cinematography by Jo Willems edited by Art Jones music by Brian Reitzell

f r e a k s (1932) written by Willis Goldbleck Leon Gordon (from the short story "Spurs" by Tod Robbins) directed and produced by Tod Browning starring Wallace Ford Leila Hyams Olga Baclanova Roscoe Ates cinematography by Merritt B. Gerstad edited by Basil Wrangell

the M i s t (2007) written and directed by Frank Darabont (from the novella by Stephen King) produced by Frank Darabont Martin Shefer Liz Glotzer starring Thomas Jane Laurie Holden Marcia Gay Hardin Andre Braugher Toby Jones William Sadler Frances Sternhagen Jeffrey DeMunn cinematography by Rohn Schmidt edited by Hunter M. Via music by Mark Isham

Invasion of the BODY SNATCHERS (1956) written by Daniel Mainwaring (from the novel by Jack Finney) directed by Don Siegel produced by Walter Wanger starring Kevin McCarthy Dana Wynter Larry Gates King Donovan Carolyn Jones Jean Willes Ralph Dumke cinematography by Ellsworth Fredericks edited by Robert S. Eisen music by Carmen Dragon

[jojotier]

You know I think about American Moor by Keith Hamilton Cobb like, constantly. It's tragic watching this actor try to reach out halfway and put his full heart on display, only to know that the white director isn't going to be willing to meet him on it.

[lboogie1906]

Keith Hamilton Cobb (January 28, 1962) is an actor.

He is known for his roles as the ruthless Nietzschean mercenary Tyr Anasazi in Andromeda (2000-05) and as Noah Keefer in All My Children (1994-96).

He was born in North Tarrytown, New York; he graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. A classically trained actor, he appeared in several Shakespearean productions in the New York area before breaking into television in the mid-1990s. One of his first movies was Eyes Beyond Seeing in which he plays a mental patient who claims to be Jesus Christ.

In 1996, he was named on People magazine’s annual list of the “50 most beautiful people”.

In 1999, he was in two episodes of The Beastmaster, portraying a character very similar to his character from Andromeda.

He left Andromeda at the start of the fourth season, citing dissatisfaction over the development of his character.

His 2015 play American Moor explores the experiences of African American actors performing texts as written and directed by white writers and directors. The play garnered great academic acclaim. The play debuted Off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre in August 2019.

He continues to act in theater productions, including roles as Oberon and Duke Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at New York’s Geva Theater Center and the bigoted Juror #10 in Twelve Angry Men at Briggs Opera House in White River Junction, Vermont. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[vintagetvstars]

Ben Browder Vs. Keith Hamilton Cobb

Propaganda

Ben Browder - (Farscape) - John Crichton is (imo) one of the all time best sci fi protagonists (on one of the all time best sci fi shows) and the way Ben plays him really helps make that the case! The character is well written too but you need someone who's able to sell the character to make it work and he completely rises to that challenge! I guess technically his performance isn't really a reflection of hotness per say BUT I personally find being talented and cool hot so? And I mean. He is very good looking too.

Keith Hamilton Cobb - (Andromeda (seasons 1-4), All My Children, The Young and the Restless (2003 - 2004)) - He is a classically trained actor and it shows no matter what he is doing. He was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 1996.

Master Poll List | How to submit propaganda | What is vintage? (FAQ)

Additional propaganda below the cut

Ben Browder:

[elgascreamslikehell]

I just need to add it. For all of young beautiful people who has no idea who are these characters!

1. Benjamin Franklin 'Hawkeye' Pierce. He's a surgeon in mobile army hospital, captain and one of the main M*A*S*H characters and he is absolutely gorgeous. And a little insane. Portrayed by amazing Alan Alda

2. Tyr Anasazi. One of the main characters from the Andromeda, member of the Andromeda ascendant crew, cynical weapon officer, ex-killer(?) and more. Also genetic copy of the nietzchean prophet. Kinda. Played by Keith Hamilton Cobb.

3. Susan Ivanova. Second in command of Babylon 5, first openly bisexual character on TV screen, telepath and just an atomic woman. I mean LOOK AT HER. Played by Claudia Christian

4. Doctor Percival Ulysses Cox. Misanthrope nihilist alcoholic attending physician and residency director in Sacred Heart hospital. Also the famous 'Man not caring'. The better version of dr.House IMHO. Portrayed by John C. McGinley

5. Mason. Mason Mason Mason. Undead reaper unalived himself in the sixties by drilling his own brain seeking a permanent high. Spends his afterlife trying all drugs and alcohol he could possibly find (except for the injections - he doesn't trust needles). Also sweet caring cutie-pie. Played by Callum Blue. I mean look at him.

So, tagging i missed from people I've also missed!

Staring from @mairaiscarrierofthepaperclips and this funny thing.

Rules: Make a poll with five of your all time favourite characters and then tag five people to do the same. See which character is everyone's favourite!

I think it's funny because my taste is quite specific.. and I'm not sure all the characters are widely known. Anyway!

Cause i missed the train i suppose anyone has already done that but still!

@pirrusstuff @fionaswhvre @aspecbuddie @pansysgothgf @steadfastsaturnsrings

[writergeekrhw]

Was there ever the slightest chance of Tyr and Harper getting together?

No, there's no way TPTB would have gone for it. I pitched that Tyr could be gay when I was first developing the character, and that might be why he was exiled, because Nietzscheans are homophobic, but it went over like a lead balloon.

For the record, I had no idea at the time that Keith was gay. I do think he played the character as omnisexual, but at that time working for those companies, his subtextual performance is about as far as we could take things.

[butchhamlet]

are there any shakespeare retellings you recommend? i really enjoy retellings but it's also difficult to find ones that like. actually understand the source material... i've read your novella duodecimal and really liked it btw! excellent take on twelfth night :-)

THANK YOU SO MUCH WAH... yes, i can recommend some retellings! i keep intending to make a big post with my recs, actually, but there are so many out there that i haven't read yet... so for now here's an incomplete list:

a thousand acres by jane smiley: the first one that came to my mind seeing this ask. it's a retelling of lear set on an american farmstead, and the adaptation is done beautifully and smoothly--it's just distinct enough from OG Lear that you can judge it as a book on its own but also as a lear retelling. and it's sooooo good. it starts a little slow, but the character work is so excellent and it almost made me cry (i will note that there's a pretty hefty cw on this one but... saying what it is is technically spoilers? but feel free to send another ask or message if you want to know up-front)

the last true poets of the sea by julia drake: books that made me have to turn my camera off in zoom class so i could bawl properly. books written for me specifically. this is a loose YA retelling of twelfth night (looser than some of the other retellings on this list) and it's like. perfect. the teenage dialogue actually sounds like teenagers. every emotional beat clubbed me over the head. the love triangle is present--and done really well; it's not present for drama but because sometimes being a teenager is confusing--but more than that this is a book about the relationship between violet and her sibling, and about mental health, and god it makes me CRAZY. also girls kiss in this one

rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead by tom stoppard: i mean. i think most people into shakespeare know r&gad. but in case you haven't read it yet, it's an absurdist play from the point of view of rosencrantz and guildenstern and it's absolutely fucking brilliant. not sure what else to say about this; you've really just gotta read it

teenage dick by mike lew: another play, this one on the modern side--a retelling of richard iii set in a high school, focusing explicitly on disability issues. kind of more a reimagining than a retelling, honestly, but i really like the exploration of r3's themes and also it's fucking hysterical. although i will say there's a kind of jarring tonal shift in this one near the end, so don't go to it for something 100% comedic

american moor by keith hamilton cobb: okay this isn't exactly a retelling but if you've ever read othello you have to read it. you just have to. please god if you've ever read a shakespeare PLEASE. it's a monologue from the perspective of a black man trying out for the role of othello, half-resigned to being pigeonholed into playing that specific role in a very specific way as directed by a white director, but also half-chafing against that resignation, and also exploring the complexities of loving shakespeare as a black man, and it's soooooo so good

exit, pursued by a bear by e.k. johnston: this one is kind of cheating because it's not really a retelling, in that it has next to nothing to do with the winter's tale except that there is a hermione character and a leontes character and a paulina character. i still think it's a very very well-done YA book, though, and one of the only ones i've read that deals head-on with abortion

foul is fair by hannah capin: okay, i will admit i read this one some years ago when i was more into YA, so i'm not sure i would still go crazy over it now, but the plot of this book is that the modern lady macbeth character gets assaulted by a guy at a party and decides to kill everyone who let that happen. and then she does. and idk i read it in two days it felt like being on crack

the wednesday wars by gary schmidt: this one is DEFINITELY cheating, because this isn't a retelling of anything. but if you like shakespeare and you're open to reading historical fiction about a kid in the 60s using shakespeare as a lens through which to understand the chaos of his life (from the vietnam war to his school crush)... it's so good. it made me nearly sob. beautiful book

i'm also a fan of ryan north's shakespeare choose-your-own-adventure books, but those aren't exactly retellings and also the humor will probably not work for everyone. but i like em <3

and finally, i would be remiss not to shout out the fact that @suits-of-woe wrote an INCREDIBLE retelling of the two gentlemen of verona that, like, redeemed the fact that that play exists. if you've read that play and you thought, "wow, i wish this were explicitly homoerotic, or not a rape apologia, or good in any way," you will LOVE macy's book. unfortunately it isn't fucking published yet but WITH YOUR HELP--

[worldofhurt]

Andromeda (2001).

[soapoperamen]

Keith Hamilton Cobb (Noah Keefer, All My Children)

[storyofmorewhoa]

"Lava and Rockets," Andromeda written by Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz

"Shadows Cast by a Final Salute," Andromeda written by Bob Engels