Shakespeare in Performance

3 units

This course is an introduction to Shakespeare's plays and poems through the interpretive framework of performance. A thespian himself, Shakespeare drew on his stage experience when writing his plays, collaborating with a theater company and shaping his characters to reflect the talents of its actors. Reading the plays as literature, we will study the evolution of how they have been produced on stage from their early modern premieres to the present day, comparing and contrasting different strategies for generating meaning in performance with reference to various film adaptations. By reciting a sonnet of their choosing and rehearsing a scene from one of the plays, students will gain new insight into performance as an interpretive act and a deeper understanding of the production and reception histories of Shakespeare's plays. Most importantly, we will consider why Shakespeare's works have continued not only to resonate, but also to entertain, for over 400 years. Assignments include: two papers; an in-class performance of a sonnet; and a group presentation of a scene from one of Shakespeare's playsaccompanied by a brief reflection statement. First-year and/or students with no prior knowledge of this topic are encouraged to enroll. Satisfies the Early Modern requirement.