Certainty may give way to misgiving, happiness may become unease. Moment-to-moment changes often make actors and directors pause and ponder when deciding to perform a Shakespeare comedy. But this should not be the case, claims theatre scholar Albert Bermel. In Shakespeare at the Moment, Bermel contends that Shakespeare’s comedies depend for their effects on their sparkling inconsistency and spontaneity, and on the opportunities they offer for artistic ingenuity and initiative. The book discusses fifteen plays, addressing Shakespeare’s experimentation, the power and intelligence of his inconsistencies, his novel "happy" endings, and ultimately, how each comedy can be performed. Among other things, Bermel argues that:

• The characters in these plays are not rigidified personalities, and actors will, almost inevitably, add their own "characterizations" to their roles.
• Shakespeare created scenes and roles that actors can rediscover and remake without being untrue to the words.
• Shakespeare’s female roles are the most persuasive and familiar carriers of the feminine spirit in today’s theatre world

Contents:
Twinning
The Comedy of Errors
Twelfth Night, or What You Will

Woman vs. Man
The Taming of the Shrew
Love's Labor's Lost
Much Ado About Nothing
All's Well That Ends Well

Justice
The Merchant of Venice
Measure for Measure

Love, True and False
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Henry IV, Part I
The Merry Wives of Windsor
As You Like It

Transformations
A Midsummer Night's Dream
The Winter's Tale
The Tempest

Conclusion: Loose Ends