Sports - Aug. 25, 2009
Putting a Shakespearean twist on Favre's saga
Why is it so hard for Brett Favre to give up playing football? If you've never played the sport, it's hard to explain and even more difficult to understand. Then again, you can relate to being in a play or being in a band or -- as people in the armed forces say -- being in combat. There is something about the shared struggle that causes deep emotional bonds and can make it hard to give up any endeavor.
Tags: brett favre, vikings, packers, shakespeare, merchant of venice

Arts & Entertainment - May 5, 2005
Milwaukee Shakespeare grapples with "Merchant of Venice"
One of Shakespeare’s most complicated and controversial works, "The Merchant of Venice" is difficult to produce for the modern theater. The text is so rife with apparent anti-Semitism that 21st century audiences can’t help but squirm.
Tags: Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare

Movies & TV - Feb. 11, 2005
"Merchant of Venice" doesn't evade work's anti-Semitism
Well-scripted and engaging, this romantic film deserves points not only for going head to head with the work's anti-Semitism but for doing so in a way that will make clear to viewers the despicable nature of hate.
Tags: Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice, Shylock, Jeremy Irons, Pacino, Fiennes, Bassanio, Portia, Postino, Radford