Shakespeare and Sci-Fi

Interesting interview with Patrick Stewart (via i09). He's asked why Shakespearean actors do well with sci-fi roles and he answers:

I think that the experience that we get in making a 400-year-old text work is exactly what you need for giving credibility and believability to fantasy, science fiction, and the like.

And I think that's exactly right. I did two Shakespeare plays down in Austin ('Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Romeo & Juliet') and this is what I found as well.
Shakespeare told interesting stories and is well known for a good turn of phrase. But the writing is 400 years old and the style of the language has changed quite a bit. That means that the actors (and directors, etc.) have to work extra hard on communicating the story to the audience. You have to attack the script, figure out what you're trying to say and then convey that to modern ears. When it works, the story opens up and it's quite enjoyable. When it doesn't, everyone is confused and bored. There is almost no middle ground.
The interview is in connection to a Patrick Stewart/David Tennant performance of 'Hamlet' that aired on PBS last night. I had no idea otherwise I would have Tivo'd. Fortunately, PBS has it online in it's entirety here. Now I just need to carve out 3 hours of watching time . . .