USE THIS: Shakespeare Flash Mob

Performances can pop up anywhere. Sure, most of ours take place in classrooms, or maybe in small theaters for showcase nights. But for folks in London this week, some iambic pentameter may sneak up in unexpected places. 

As part of the 2012 Festival Cultural Olympiad, running alongside the Paralympic Games, Tony Award winner Mark Rylance will be bringing "What You Will: Pop Up Shakespeare," to the streets of London. With locations being announced via Twitter, the group of 50 actors will spring up to perform selections by the bard, without costumes, sets, or props. Sound familiar? The diverse performance group includes hearing-impaired as well as physically challenged performers in celebration of the spirit of the Paralympic Games and the human condition about which Shakespeare so deftly examined.

Use this as an example of how art can (and should) happen anywhere. It's an example of how we can make something many people find boring (classical literature) something exciting and new. So if you find someone talking to a fake skull instead of a wall, or sounding more Elizabethan than extemporaneous, give them a high five for being a fellow friend of performing literature.