Shakespeare's Ear

Shakespeare’s Ear presents dark and sometimes funny pieces of fact and folklore that bedevil the mostly unknown history of theater. All manner of skullduggery, from revenge to murder, from affairs to persecution, proves that the drama off-stage was just as intense as any portrayed on it. The stories include those of: An ancient Greek writer of tragedies who dies when an eagle drops a tortoise on his head. A sixteenth-century English playwright who lives a double life as a spy and perishes horribly, stabbed above the eye. A small Parisian theater where grisly horrors unfold on stage. The gold earring that Shakespeare wears in the Chandos portrait, and its connections to bohemians and pirates of the time.Journey back to see theatrical shenanigans from the ancient Near East, explore the violent plays of ancient Greece and Rome, revel in the Elizabethan and Jacobean golden age of blood-thirsty drama, delight in the zany and subversive antics of the Commedia dell’arte, and tremble at ghostly incursions into playhouses. Here you will find many fine examples of playwrights, actors, and audiences alike being horrible to each other over the centuries.

“As in Beethoven’s Skull, this page-turningly entertaining book combines the rugged experience of a seasoned academic researcher with the wit and lightness of touch of a literary raconteur. Great stuff from start to finish.”—William Lyons, director of The Dufay Collective, composer, and historical adviser for Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre “Rayborn means to reveal a timeless side to the theater world—our fascination with the underbelly of things extends from the ancients to today’s news. [He writes]: ‘Learning about the astonishing and often violent antics that happened behind the scenes of great dramas makes the whole genre even more fun.’ For many readers, it’s likely to do just that.”—Sarah Grant, Booklist “A miscellany for theater lovers, this compendium by the author of Beethoven’s Skull does for the stage what he did previously for classical music. Perfect for dipping into during intermission.”—Michael Giltz, Bookfilter/Broadway Direct “Via his entertaining journey through the quirky shadows of strutting and fretting upon the stage, Tim Rayborn proves that ‘theatre history’ need not be a numbing slog. Instead, he gives us a look at this art’s fascinatingly ripe underbelly—his findings are sometimes amusing, sometimes twisted, but always enlightening… however this unique book is swallowed and digested, it offers much enjoyment for both history mavens and theatre aficionados alike.”—Cathy Ritchie, Theater Jones “Shakespeare’s Ear is a spirited read that provides a brief but surprisingly comprehensive history of western civilization theater practice served up in an intriguingly clever narrative that keeps the pages turning.” —Jim Petosa, director of Boston University School of Theatre and artistic director of New Repertory Theatre “With a gimlet eye, a mordant wit, and a genius for unearthing the most sensational details of plays and playwrights, Rayborn’s historical, hysterical recounting of life upon the wicked stage from the dawn of time to the brink of tomorrow will be a pure (and sometimes prurient) delight for schoolboys and scholars alike.” —Christopher Byrne, author and theater critic, Gay City News, “As in Beethoven’s Skull, this page-turningly entertaining book combines the rugged experience of a seasoned academic researcher with the wit and lightness of touch of a literary raconteur. Great stuff from start to finish.”—William Lyons, director of The Dufay Collective, composer, and historical adviser for Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre “Rayborn means to reveal a timeless side to the theater world—our fascination with the underbelly of things extends from the ancients to today’s news. [He writes]: ‘Learning about the astonishing and often violent antics that happened behind the scenes of great dramas makes the whole genre even more fun.’ For many readers, it’s likely to do just that.”—Sarah Grant, Booklist “A miscellany for theater lovers, this compendium by the author of Beethoven’s Skull does for the stage what he did previously for classical music. Perfect for dipping into during intermission.”—Michael Giltz, Bookfilter/Broadway Direct “Via his entertaining journey through the quirky shadows of strutting and fretting upon the stage, Tim Rayborn proves that ‘theatre history’ need not be a numbing slog. Instead, he gives us a look at this art’s fascinatingly ripe underbelly—his findings are sometimes amusing, sometimes twisted, but always enlightening… however this unique book is swallowed and digested, it offers much enjoyment for both history mavens and theatre aficionados alike.”—Cathy Ritchie, Theater Jones “Shakespeare’s Ear is a spirited read that provides a brief but surprisingly comprehensive history of western civilization theater practice served up in an intriguingly clever narrative that keeps the pages turning.” —Jim Petosa, director of Boston University School of Theatre and artistic director of New Repertory Theatre “With a gimlet eye, a mordant wit, and a genius for unearthing the most sensational details of plays and playwrights, Rayborn’s historical, hysterical recounting of life upon the wicked stage from the dawn of time to the brink of tomorrow will be a pure (and sometimes prurient) delight for schoolboys and scholars alike.” —Christopher Byrne, author and theater critic, Gay City News

Tim Rayborn writes on a variety of historical and musical topics, from the Middle Ages to the early twentieth century. He has a PhD from the University of Leeds in England. He is also a professional musician, with a specialty in medieval repertoire. He lives in Berkeley, California.