Selling Shakespeare

Once I presented three classy ladies, a soprano, harpsichordist and actress who did a great show around John Donne poetry and Scarlatti songs. Unfortunately ticket sales were less than good. I told them this as they walked onto the stage carrying their bags.
"You did sell it on sex and violence, didn't you?" inquired the harpsichordist.

Which reminds me of the traveling players who arrived in a mid-western hamlet to do a short season of the Bard. The Actor manager strolled into the local newspaper office to buy an ad. After stating his business at the counter a balding gent whose sleeves were gartered removed a stogie from his lips to let this creature know in no uncertain terms that:
"I hate Shakespeare. I despise actors. I loathe the theatre. I will not sully the paper with mention of any of them. If the gentleman can live with these strictures, the paper will happily take his money for an ad of whatsoever size was required."
The actor manager, an old and dab hand at touring provincial towns and dealing with their editors, replied: "If that is so, might I borrow a sheet of foolscap to sketch a thought that might please both of us?"
When so provided he drew this:


The editor accepted the ad and the run was successful.

Which five plays of Shakespeare were performed?

Answer:

Much Ado About Nothing
As you Like It
Taming of the Shrew
Midsummer Nights Dream
Love's Labours Lost

(Run your cursor over the space with the left button down to see the answer)
-- ml
tags: Dum Luks Stockpot, theatre tales, Shakespeare