The authorship controversy has yet to surface a compelling alternative to the man buried in Stratford. Perhaps that’s because, until recently, no one was looking in the right place. The case for Emilia Bassano.
I taught the notoriously prudish country's teenagers Shakespeare. Yes, even the dirty parts.
In his day, performers received little respect for grueling work. Yet the playwright strode the stage for more than 15 years—and then changed the acting profession forever.
The incarcerated may be the Bard's ideal modern audience.