In an interview I saw on television last night, Stephen Sondheim said some very interesting things in regard to his writing process, which is also apparently the subject matter of his new book, Finishing the Hat. One of the points that he made was that no one ever writes a great work for the theater on the first try, because it's only after having done one that the writer realizes the importance of the audience. As he put it, the writer soon learns that the audience is "the final collaborator". Of course, this made me realize (once again) that only a full-time theater professional could possibly have written Shakespeare's plays. They were written with actors and a stage not only in mind, but in use - not amidst tea and crumpets. Of course, one of the central characteristics of Shakespeare's plays is how well they work in front of an audience. And it becomes increasingly evident, as one spends more time with the works, that this was always one of his primary concerns - at least equal in importance with their poetic and philosophical content. (Historical accuracy was not nearly as important to him as these three.) Tomorrow: a comparison to another twentieth-century musician.