By Susan King, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Traditional or not traditional? That is the question when directors mount productions of William Shakespeare's plays.

Over the decades, theater, movies and even television versions of the Bard's plays have defied convention, some turning them into musicals, samurai action thrillers, films noir and modern-day dramas. Go back as far as MGM's all-star "The Hollywood Revue of 1929," and you'll find Norma Shearer and John Gilbert performing the balcony love scene from "Romeo and Juliet" in the slang of the day, including pig Latin.

The new comedy "Hamlet 2," opening today, isn't quite "Hamlet" but rather a raucous farce about an Arizona high school teacher (Steve Coogan) who puts on a sequel to the great tragedy in hopes of saving his career.

With that in mind, let's brush up on some of the more creative takes on Shakespeare