Shakespeare and the American South have lots in common. From the 1700s to the present day, Shakespeare’s plays have been immensely popular on Southern stages. Charleston, S.C., for example, has hosted a number of famous Shakespearean productions. And theaters in Shakespeare’s England and the antebellum South shared many characteristics. Even today, traces of Shakespeare’s English language can be heard in accents across the South.
In celebration of its 15th anniversary, the Clemson Shakespeare Festival will take a closer look at these and other connections between the British Bard and the American South.
“The wind . . . turns his side to the dew-dropping south.”
Romeo and Juliet, 1.4
Plays/Performances . . . Back to top
The Taming of the Shrew • The National Players
Monday, March 13 - Tuesday, March 14, 8:00 PM
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) • The Clemson Players
Friday, March 10 - Saturday, March 11, 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 12, 7:00 PM
Sunday’s performance will be followed by a special presentation by Professor Alec Harrington and his Acting Shakespeare class on the connections between Shakespearean and Southern prosody.
Sunday, March 12, 8:45 PM
Films . . . Back to top
Lear ’87 Archive, Mabou Mines Theater Company
Monday, March 13, 5:00 p.m.
The Merchant of Venice (2004), starring Al Pacino
Wednesday, March 15, 8:00 p.m.
Lear ’87 Archive
The film documents the production process of the legendary Mabou Mines theater collective, as the actors take on the challenge of transposing King Lear to the American South of the 1950s. This production features not only a dramatic change of setting, but also transformations of gender and race. The result is a dynamic examination of theater in the making.
The Merchant of venice (2004)
This is the critically acclaimed 2004 film from director Michael Radford (Il Postino), starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, and Joseph Fiennes (who played the title character in Shakespeare In Love). Praised for its thought-provoking interpretation of the play and gorgeous cinematography, this Merchant of Venice is the latest high-profile adaptation of Shakespeare to hit the big screen.
Albert Hamilton Holt Colloquium . . . Back to top
“Shakespeare and the American South”
Sunday, March 12, 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Bellamy Theatre, Brooks Center
Keynote Lectures
Dr. Christy Desmet, University of Georgia
“Kate the Curst, Marriage, and Slavery in Nineteenth-Century America”
Dr. Douglas Lanier, University of New Hampshire
“Blackened Reputation: Shakespeare on the Minstrel Stage”
With an additional presentation by Dr. Susanna Ashton, Clemson University
“Who Brings Home the Bacon?: America’s Preoccupation with the Shakespearean Authorship Controversy”
Panel Discussion
Monday, March 13, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Bellamy Theatre, Brooks Center
Moderated by John Ford, Delta State University
Featuring Dr. Desmet, Dr. Lanier, and actors from The National Players
Workshops . . . Back to top
Workshops
Classroom Visits
Monday – Wednesday
The National Players work with classes in the Departments of English and Performing Arts on topics ranging from Voice and Movement to the interpretation of scenes from Shakespeare’s plays.
Charles Paz Memorial Workshop
Wednesday, March 15, 2005, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Grades 7-12, Brooks Theatre
This workshop is presented in loving memory of a local high school student who enjoyed the "Shakesperience" offered by Clemson's annual festival. The National Players will teach participants the art of stage combat.
