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"A Shakespearean Baseball Game", subtitled "A Comedy of Errors, Hits and Runs", is a sketch by the Canadian comedy duo Wayne and Shuster. First performed on television in 1958 and slightly revised in 1971 and 1977, the sketch depicts a fictional baseball game with the manager, players, and umpires all speaking in Shakespearean verse. The dialogue parodies lines from the plays Hamlet, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and Richard III while referencing modern baseball culture. It became Wayne and Shuster's signature sketch, and both its television and radio recordings have been preserved as significant works.

History

"A Shakespearean Baseball Game" was created to poke fun at the hoopla surrounding the Stratford Festival, a Shakespearean festival founded in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, in 1953. Like other works by Wayne and Shuster, the sketch assumes knowledge of the classics, in this case the plays Hamlet, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and Richard III. In preparation for the sketch, the comedians read most of Shakespeare's plays and went to the Stratford Festival, the American Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, Connecticut, and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Wayne crafted the iambic pentameter for the sketch. Modal Elizabethan music was composed for the sketch by the comedy duo's arranger, Johnny Dobson.

The sketch was first performed on television on May 22, 1958, closing The Wayne & Shuster Hour's 1957–58 season with CBC Television. It was then performed on US television on June 1, on their third appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, which they emceed while Sullivan was in Europe. The duo had been scheduled to perform game-show parody "The $64,000 Squeal", and had a heated argument over switching to "Shakespearean Baseball". Wayne was concerned that the new sketch wasn't yet ready for the US, while Shuster felt it was worth the risk to make a bigger impact and help attract additional job offers as their CBC contract had expired. The show was seen by an estimated 40 million viewers in the US and Canada.

The sketch was performed for CBC Radio on June 18, 1959. This recording was among the Wayne and Shuster works restored and preserved in 2000 by the Masterworks program of National Archives Canada.

The sketch was included on the duo's first comedy album, Wayne and Shuster: In Person Comedy Performance, in 1960. In 1971, the comedians slightly revised the script and re-broadcast the sketch on colour television. In 1977, the comedians produced a third version in honour of the formation of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Description

Pitchers, catchers, shortstops, lend me your ears.

The setting for the sketch is "Bosworth Field (A Baseball Stadium Near Stratford)", an allusion to the site of the final battle in Richard III. That play was the first to be staged by the Stratford Festival in its 1953 debut season. The sketch incorporates 33 quotations and puns from Shakespearean plays, along with visual slapstick. Characters speak their lines in blank verse, with the poetic metering of iambic pentameter.

The sketch runs for 10 to 11 minutes. The main roles are the team's manager and catcher, in parodies of Horatio and Hamlet, with 11 supporting roles.

Shuster plays the manager of the fictional Stratford team, while Wayne plays the team's catcher, a slugger who has not had a hit in ten games. The catcher mopes in the locker room and soliloquizes in the manner of Hamlet, "Oh, what a rogue and bush league slob am I, who has ten days hitless gone." With the Stratford team down 1–0 in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs, the catcher is next at bat. Unlike "Casey at the Bat", to which it has been compared, "A Shakespearean Baseball Game" ends with the would-be hero being hit by a pitch in the head, becoming delirious, and ultimately being carried off the field. His manager vows, "No longer would Stratford see Yogi play ball, I'm trading the bum to Montreal".

In the 1977 version, the manager was named "The Mighty Thurman", the starting pitcher was called "Catfish", and the relief pitcher was dubbed "Sparky", incorporating names of baseball stars of that era.

Reception

Lay on Macduff! And watch out for that breaking stuff!

The sketch was well received on its 1958 premieres on Canadian and US television. Arthur Brydon of The Globe and Mail called it "some of the cleverest Wayne and Shuster comedy of the season", and that it was suitable for Sullivan. William Drylie of the Toronto Daily Star wrote that the sketch was "one riot followed by another" in one of their strongest shows, and agreed that it was ready for Sullivan. Following the sketch's US debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, Variety reported that the duo were "the freshest comedy team extant" and suggested that Sullivan's show be renamed after them.

There was considerable speculation that Wayne and Shuster might have permanently moved to New York, as their CBC contract had expired and their hosting Sullivan was a great success. On June 13, 1958, they signed a new contract with CBC which made them the highest-paid performers in Canadian television.

Retrospectives

"A Shakespearean Baseball Game" is considered Wayne and Shuster's signature sketch. In a CBC interview, the duo noted the sketch's initial performances as the height of their career. The sketch is included in The Wayne & Shuster Years, a 75-minute retrospective of their 50+ year career, broadcast on CBC Television on February 24, 1991, and released on home video on May 28, 1996. Hosting the special, Shuster introduces the sketch as "our personal best".

The original television recording was included in Wayne and Shuster in Black and White, a retrospective series of 22 half-hour episodes, edited from the CBC archives by Shuster and broadcast on CBC Television in 1996. The Toronto Star rated that series 5 out of 5 and called the sketch a "grand takeoff" and "wonderful moments to savor".

In 2002, John McKay of The Canadian Press wrote that the sketch remains "deceptively sophisticated".

Legacy

For decades, English teachers requested copies of the sketch for their classes.

In the form of a short play, the sketch has been staged theatrically at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory as part of the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, and at numerous other theatre festivals and events.

According to the Canadian Adaptations of Shakespeare Project at the University of Guelph, the sketch influenced later sports comedy parodies of Shakespeare by Chris Coculuzzi and Matt Toner in "Shakespeare's Rugby Wars" (2001) and "Shakespeare's World Cup" (2002).

See also

• "Who's on First?" a baseball comedy sketch based on a 1930s burlesque routine, popularized by Abbott and Costello

Footnotes

Notes

1. In addition to the two main roles, there were eleven supporting players. Writing on the Ed Sullivan performance, Barbara Moon noted "From casting they needed five girls and eleven men". With the team being all male players, this is consistent with the roles in a transcript from The Wayne and Shuster Years: 50 Years of Comedy.
2. In the original version the catcher is named Yogi; in 1971, he was renamed "The Mighty Rocky".

References

1. ^ Wayne, Johnny; Shuster, Frank. "The Shakespearean Baseball Game [partial transcript]" (PDF). CanadianShakespeares.ca. Canadian Adaptations of Shakespeare Project, University of Guelph. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 17, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
2. ^ "The Archivist". Library and Archives Canada. April 10, 2000. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
3. ^ Drouin 2014, p. 18.
4. Cox, Warren (1960). "Wayne and Shuster (liner notes)". Columbia Records. Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
5. "Kings of Comedy: 50th anniversary of Wayne and Shuster". The National Magazine. Toronto, Ontario: CBC Television – via ProQuest (subscription required) . October 4, 1996. ProQuest 190717857. The iambic pentameter was Johnny 's. He did that better than I did.
6. ^ Moon, Barbara (July 19, 1958). "How Wayne & Shuster took New York". Maclean's. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
7. "Episode Guide – Wayne and Shuster Show, The (Series) (1954-1990)". TVarchive.ca. 2013. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
8. "Those Were the Days". Maclean's. January 1, 2000. Archived from the original on July 5, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
9. Wayne and Shuster: the radio years. OCLC 49767231.
10. "Works by Canadian icons to be preserved". The Standard. St. Catharines, Ontario: Metroland Media Group – via ProQuest (subscription required) . February 22, 2000. p. B2. ProQuest 349121359.
11. ^ Drouin 2014, p. 17.
12. ^ Kates, Maxwell (October 11, 2018). "Wayne, Shuster and Baseball". The Pecan Park Eagle. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
13. Coculuzzi & Toner 2005, pp. ix–x.
14. Rasky, Frank (February 15, 1992). "Looking back on a partnership built on laughter". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ontario: The Globe and Mail Inc. – via ProQuest (subscription required) . p. C7. ProQuest 385399698. O, what a rogue and bush league slob am I, who has ten days hitless gone.
15. Lungen, Paul (August 22, 2017). "Wayne and Shuster: The iconic comedy team that delighted audiences for years". Canadian Jewish News. Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
16. Brydon, Arthur (May 24, 1958). "Speaking of Television: This Phoenix Was a Fine Folio". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail Inc – via ProQuest (subscription required) . p. 17. ProQuest 1313936172. A baseball sketch couched in Shakespearean paraphrases included some of the cleverest Wayne and Shuster comedy of the season this week. It seems like a natural for later presentation on the Sullivan show.
17. ^ Drylie, William (May 24, 1958). "Glance". Toronto Daily Star – via ProQuest (subscription required) . p. 21. Retrieved August 2, 2019. Their Stratford Shakespearean baseball team was one riot followed by another The baseball sketch should go on Sullivan's show soon
18. Brydon, Arthur (June 7, 1958). "Speaking of Television - New Panel Show Flat In Its Initial Showing". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail Inc. – via ProQuest (subscription required) . p. 13. ProQuest 1314030545. Variety this week says the Ed Sullivan Show may soon be known as the Wayne and Shuster Show if the two comics keep up their present pace.
19. Anderson, Jason. "The Wayne and Shuster Hour". Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
20. "CBC Archives 1958 Wayne and Shuster debut on the Ed Sullivan Show". CBC Digital Archives. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on August 8, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
21. "Television – Sunday". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail Inc – via ProQuest (subscription required) . pp. 26–29. ProQuest 1151208124. The Wayne & Shuster Years – TV and radio clips and sketches including Rinse the Blood Off My Toga and Shakespearean Baseball salute the duo's 50-year career.
22. Bawden, Jim (February 23, 1991). "Bawden's Best". Starweek. Toronto, Ontario: Toronto Star Newspapers Limited – via ProQuest (subscription required) . p. 6. ProQuest 1370150063. The Wayne & Shuster Years, a 90-minute compilation of the Canadian duo's best sketches Shakespearean baseball, Rinse The Blood Off My Toga
23. Adilman, Sid (May 17, 1996). "Wayne & Shuster video recalls duo's TV heyday". The Toronto Star. Toronto Star Newspapers Limited – via ProQuest (subscription required) . p. C3. ProQuest 437471825. Tuxedoed Frank Shuster narrates the tribute 'our personal best', says Shuster – a Shakespearean baseball game.
24. ^ "New for '96 Canadian Series". Starweek. Toronto Star Newspapers Limited – via ProQuest (subscription required) . September 12, 1996. p. SW 52. ProQuest 437532126. But best of all in episode two is that grand takeoff Shakespearean Baseball, wonderful moments to savour.
25. McKay, John (January 14, 2002). "Blend of sweet corn and sharp parody recalled as unique Wayne & Shuster style". Toronto, Ontario. The Canadian Press – via ProQuest (subscription required) . ProQuest 359577280.
26. Young, Pamela (July 30, 1990). "Legacy of Laughter". Maclean's. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019. Leonard Starmer, the executive producer of every Wayne and Shuster comedy special from 1970 until 1988, says that English teachers still request copies of the Caesar and baseball sketches for their classes.
27. "Shakespeare at Bat". sluggermuseum.com. Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
28. Slotek, Jim (April 29, 2016). "Wayne & Shuster to be honoured at Jewish Film Festival". The Toronto Sun. Toronto, Ontario: Postmedia Network Inc. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
29. Stradiotto, Laura (January 19, 2006). "Sudbury celebrities take to the STC stage, eh!". Sudbury Star. Sudbury, Ontario: Postmedia Network – via ProQuest (subscription required) . p. C2. ProQuest 349077696.
30. "Theatre group ready to debut new play". The Standard. Hope, British Columbia: Black Press Media – via ProQuest (subscription required) . April 17, 2014. p. 13. ProQuest 1517436562.
31. "Shakespeare in the Park: The Pirates of Penzance". Journal Gazette & Times-Courier. Mattoon, Illinois: Lee Publications. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
32. "Production History – 2003 BNW Shakes Pier in Brooklyn". bravenewworldrep.org. Brave New World Repertory Theatre. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
33. Brackenbury, Mary. "Rinse the Blood off the Adjudicator". ATA Magazine. Vol. 91, no. 2. Edmonton, Alberta: Alberta Teachers' Association – via ProQuest (subscription required) . pp. 32–35. ISSN 0380-9102. ProQuest 840677295.
34. "The Shakespearean Baseball Game (1958)". Canadian Adaptations of Shakespeare Project. 2004. Archived from the original on January 3, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.

Sources

• Coculuzzi, Chris; Toner, Matt (2005). Shakespeare's Sports Canon. Upstart Crow Publishing. ISBN 9780973909302.
• Drouin, Jennifer (2014). Shakespeare in Quebec: Nation, Gender and Adaptation. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9781442647978.

External links

• Script and video Archived January 3, 2019, at the Wayback Machine at the Canadian Adaptations of Shakespeare Project, University of Guelph

• Baseball culture
• Comedy sketches
• Canadian comedy
• William Shakespeare
• 1958 in Canada
• 1950s in comedy