Table Of ContentOUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,17/5/2016,SPi
Shakespeare|Cut
OxfordWellsShakespeareLectures
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,17/5/2016,SPi
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,17/5/2016,SPi
Shakespeare|Cut
Rethinking Cutwork
in an Age of Distraction
BRUCE R. SMITH
1
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,17/5/2016,SPi
3
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OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,17/5/2016,SPi
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Illustrations ix
Tables xiii
Citations xv
1. CutsIn,To,By,From,andWithShakespeare:Forms
andEffectsAcrossFourCenturies 1
2. Cutwork:CuttingOutPlaysandPuttingThemOn 29
3. CutandRun:PerceptualCutsinHearing,Seeing,and
Remembering 71
4. AttheCuttingEdge:InterfacesBetweenFigureandLife 100
5. TheNewCut:ShufflingCutsSince1900 144
SourcesCited 189
Index 203
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OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,17/5/2016,SPi
Acknowledgments
The thought that “cut” might be aphenomenon worth investigating
firstoccurredtomein2012whilewritingachapteron“Makingthe
Scene” for The Cambridge Guide to the Worlds of Shakespeare. Cuts and
cutting, I realized, were involved in all the varieties of “scene” that
I was investigating: marked units in printed texts, engraved illustra-
tions,extractsinanthologiesof“beautiesofShakespeare,”outrageous
behavior onstage and off. I am grateful to the Bogliasco Foundation
foratwo-monthfellowshipattheLigurianStudyCenterthatnotonly
facilitatedthewritingofthechapterbutputmeintoconversationwith
fellow residents whose work involves cutwork, including Yotam
Haber, a composer who incorporates archived sounds and visual
images in his work; Mary Ellen Strom, a video producer; and Stacy
Woolf,anhistorianofAmericanmusicaltheater.Iextendthankstoall
ofmyfellowfellowsatBogliasco,buttothesethreeinparticular.My
movefromachapteronscene-makingtoaprojectedbookoncutwork
wasencouragedatjusttherightmomentbyKatherineRowe.
For the invitation to deliver the 2014 Oxford Wells Shakespeare
Lectures, for endorsement of my proposed topic, and for hospitality
during my time at Oxford, I want to thank the Faculty of English,
particularlyLaurieMaguire,EmmaSmith,TiffanyStern,BartVanEs,
andSeamusPerry,ChairoftheFacultyBoardatthetimeofmyvisit.
Broaderthanksareduetothestudentsandcolleagueswhoanswered
my questions and calls for advice at various times and pointed me
toward instances of cutwork that I would otherwise have missed:
EmilyAnderson,GinaBloom,AnstonBosman,SusanBennett,David
Carnegie, Sharon Carnicke, Christie Carson, Thomas Cartelli,
Karin Chien, Christy Desmet, Michael Dobson, Richard Edinger,
Gray Fisher, Brett Hirsch, Peter Holland, Farah Karim-Cooper,
Jeffrey Knight, Kevin Laam, Douglas Lanier, Jeffrey Masten, Jean-
Christophe Mayer, Jennifer Richards, Jessica Rosenberg, Amanda
Ruud, Rebecca Schneider, Stuart Sillars, Steven Urkowitz, Paul
Werstine,andRichardWistreich.Manypeopleofferedpassingsuggestions
alongtheway.IfIhaveoverlookedanyofthem,Idoapologize.
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,17/5/2016,SPi
viii Acknowledgments
RegardingShakespeare-inspiredvideogames,ItaketoheartEspen
Aarseth’sadmonitionthatnooneshouldanalyzethemwithoutplay-
ingthem:“Ifwecommentongamesorusegamesinourculturaland
aesthetic analysis,” Aarseth insists, “we should play those games”
(Aarseth2012:190).Ihavenot,Iconfess,beenabletotakeAarseth’s
advice in every case, but I have instead framed my comments by
drawing ontheexpertiseofsomeofmystudentsattheUniversity of
SouthernCalifornia,severalofwhomareGameDesignminorsinthe
School of Cinematic Arts. I want to thank in particular Esteban
Farjado, Jordan Klein, Patrick Tam, Kelsi Yu, and Yingbao Zhu.
Anotherstudent,JadeMatias-Bell,introducedmetoJamesP.Carse’s
very useful distinction between “finite” and “infinite” games. For
directing me to particular YouTube videos I am grateful to two
otherstudents:OmarZineldineatUSCandCarlaJennessinMiddle-
buryCollege’sBreadLoafSchoolofEnglishgraduateprogram.
At Oxford University Press I have met with unfailing encourage-
ment,soundadvice,andsustainingpatiencefromJacquelineNorton,
Senior Commissioning Editor for Literature, and Eleanor Collins,
Senior Assistant Commissioning Editor for Literature. I thank both
ofthemfortheirconsummateprofessionalism.Foreditorialassistance
IamgratefultomyhusbandGordonDavis.HelenB.Cooper’scopy-
editing was meticulous and tactful. Subvention funds forillustrations
were generously made available by Dornsife College of Letters, Arts
and Sciences at the University of Southern California, through the
good graces of Peter Mancall, Vice Dean for the Humanities and
Social Sciences. In connection with illustrations and quotations,
I want to extend special thanks to Isaac Gewirtz, Curator of the
Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection in the New York Public
Library, for giving me access to the unpublished papers of William
S. Burroughs; to Percy Stubbs of the Wylie Agency for granting
permission to publish excerpts from the papers; and to the Tim
Tadder Studio, Encinitas, California, for use of the photograph
“Oncemoreuntothebreach”fromthesuite“DivingintoCharacter.”
—B.R.S.
LosAngeles,
February2016
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,17/5/2016,SPi
Illustrations
1. TimTadder,“Oncemoreuntothebreach,”from“Immersion:
DivingintoCharacter.”BypermissionofTimTadder
Photography. 2
2. DiegoVelázquez,“TheToiletofVenus”(1647–51),National
GalleryLondon,detailofphotograph(c.1914)showing
damageinflictedbyMaryRichardson.Publicdomain. 6
3. ThomasGrieve,preliminarydesigninwatercolorforthe
SiegeofHarfleurinCharlesKean’sproductionofHenryV
(1859).©VictoriaandAlbertMuseum. 11
4. JohannesAmosComenius,“TheStudy”(detail),fromOrbis
SensualiumPictus…VisibleWorld,or,APictureandNomenclature
ofalltheChiefThingsthatareintheWorld,andofMen’sEmployments
Therein(London,1685).BypermissionoftheFolger
ShakespeareLibrary. 13
5. WilliamShakespeare,Comedies,Histories,andTragedies(1623),
rustshadowofscissorsleftinFolgerLibraryFirstFoliocopy
63,sig.rr3v.BypermissionoftheFolgerShakespeareLibrary. 14
6. FragmentofpromptbookforHamlet,SmockAlleyTheatre,
Dublin(1660s–1680s).BypermissionoftheResearch
Collection,UniversityofEdinburghLibrary. 21
7A. WilliamShakespeare,TheTragedyofHamlet,PrinceofDenmark
asitisnowactedatHisHighnesstheDukeofYork’sTheatre(1676),
sig.I1.BypermissionoftheFolgerShakespeareLibrary. 23
7B. WilliamShakespeare,TheWorksofWilliamShakespear,ed.
AlexanderPope(1725),vol.6,page362.TheHuntington
Library. 23
8. TitlepagetoJohnCooke,Greene’sTuQuoque,orTheCityGallant
(1614).BypermissionoftheFolgerShakespeareLibrary. 32
9. “Mr.GarrickinFourofHisPrincipalTragicCharacters,”
anonymousengraving(1750–70),copyoriginallyownedby
CharlesBurney.©TrusteesoftheBritishMuseum. 53
10A. W.Kohler,“CharlesKeanintheCharacterofHamlet,”
mezzotint(1838).BypermissionoftheFolgerShakespeare
Library. 64
