Acts of Criticism: Performance Matters in Shakespeare and His Contemporaries edited by Paul Nelsen and June Schlueter, honors the late James L. Lusardi. Using Lusardi's dictum that "Every performance is an act of criticism" as a focus (p.16), the collection combines theater history and performance criticism to excellent effect. The first part contains important interventions by major theater historians on the competition between the Admiral's and Chamberlain's Men in 1599 - 1600 (Roslyn Knutson); on Shakespearean playbooks (Jay Halio); on the difference between reporting and representing, especially in Heywood (Alan Dessen); on the post-1607 decline in use of black tapestry on stage as a signifier for tragedy (Gurr); and on the virtues of a rough, nonbardolizing approach to editing Shakespeare (Maurice Charney). The second part of the book is devoted to essays on performance, some of which are more broadly interesting than others. John Timpane and Charles A. Hallett explore how the religious turn in Shakespeare studies has manifested itself in the presence (or absence) of spiritual versions of Shakespeare on stage.Examining some recent productions, Frances K. Barasch exploresthe importance of Apemantus to Timon of Athens; Edward L. Rocklin reevaluates Massinger's The Roman Actor; and Michael D. Friedman surveys some recent feminist takes on Taming of the Shrew. Naomi Liebler looks at two postmodern adaptations of Shakespeare, Rome Neal's Julius Caesar Set in Africa and LInda Mussmann's M.A.C.B.E.T.H. (both from 1990), while Leggatt explores what happens when Shakespeare films go to high school (Ten Things I Hate about You and O). Samuel Crowl and Kenneth S. Rothwell look back and celebrate major performances of the recent past, Robert Lepage's Midsummer (1992) and Trevor Nunn's televised Merchant (2001) respectively. J. Anthony Burton explains why Gertrude's complexity tends to shrink on film and video, and Miranda Johnson-Haddad praises performances of MIdsummer that feature children on stage. Taken as a whole, the collection is a wonderful memorial to a revered teacher and friend.
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