Are people more familiar with Shakespeare than they tend to believe? Even though initial introductions to his work may have been painful, most people with a high school education have a slight awareness of what Shakespeare is. He still plays a major part in popular culture, with either quotes from his plays or entire plots living on in modern television and film.
Bard Beat Down is an introduction to Shakespeare‚ but one that is quite the opposite of being forced to read Romeo and Juliet as a sophomore in high school. It is a light-hearted entry into Shakespearean language in which any perceived pomp and circumstance is stripped from the proceedings. The audience is left with an analog interaction: share an insult created from the seemingly bizarre words from The Bard's plays.
The technology is simple: a piece of paper and a writing utensil. The interface asks the audience to fill in the blanks to complete an insult. “Thou ______ _______ ______!” To complete the phrases, one uses the check boxes to select from a list of words.
Upon completion of the task, the paper may be handed to a friend‚ or to an enemy. It could be handed to someone while walking down the street. It could be placed on car windshields. It could be tucked in a library book to be found by a stranger in the future.
