I had to take a semester class in Shakespeare in college. I forget how many plays we read. What I discovered was that watching a play and then reading the text seriously deepened my ability to analyze and understand. I think I just don't process stage directions well, because I'm fine reading dialogue, but I'll get very confused as to what people are doing or where they are. Our professor had a bunch of these old BBC productions on VHS - the ones that look like they were filmed in someone's basement on a shoestring budget, but that had Patrick Stewart in them.

But then, I never have read a lot of drama. I still don't go out of my way to read plays now. I am kind of interested in "A Winter's Tale," but haven't found a video of it yet. Although I'm told it contains the stage direction, "Exit stage left, pursued by a Bear," so that would make the whole thing wort it. XD

And it also helped that I found a book that pointed out all the dirty jokes and terrible puns. The history of English Letters is full of fart jokes, apparently. And puns. Lots of puns.