Final answer:
Laura Bohannon's storytelling of Shakespeare to the Tiv illustrates the complexity of translating literature across cultures, emphasizing the nuance and depth lost when altering the original text. Her professional background underscores the value of using traditional practices to understand and perform Shakespeare's works authentically. The original language and practices enrich the performers' and audience's experience by preserving Shakespeare's intended rhetorical devices and emotions.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Laura Bohannon tells the story of Shakespeare to the Tiv, it becomes a profound lesson in cultural relativity and interpretation. Laura's expertise as the Director of Education and Training at the Atlanta Shakespeare Company, coupled with her extensive background in acting and directing, provides essential insight into the importance of Shakespeare's original language and practices. Her experience indicates that modern adaptations often simplify or modify the original text, which can sometimes lead to a loss of rhetorical figures and diminish the tactile experience of the emotions and characters Shakespeare intended to convey. Laura's work with Shakespeare Behind Bars, an organization that encourages incarcerated individuals to connect with and explore issues in their own lives through the exploration of Shakespeare's plays, showcases the enduring relevance of these stories.
Laura has observed that teaching and performing Shakespeare using original practices, such as those developed by Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts, can enhance both the actor's and the audience's connection to the text. The preservation of Iambic Pentameter and the original rhetoric is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the characters and ensuring the audience remains engaged. Therefore, Laura emphasizes the importance of understanding the underlying concepts and emotional nuances in Shakespeare's plays, which are often lost in translations and edited versions used in many educational settings.