Book Description

Part dramatic criticism, part study-abroad memoir, My Year with Shakespeare tells the story of an American in England journeying through the canon of the world's most famous playwright. In the last year of his undergraduate education, Justin B. Hopkins travels from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to Stratford-upon-Avon to chronicle the Royal Shakespeare Company's historic Complete Works Festival. This is his account of the once-in-a-lifetime experience, attending productions by legendary RSC artists and other renowned international companies, from a South African Hamlet to Sir Ian McKellen as King Lear--over 100 performances, all described in vivid detail. Justin also journals about British culture, from housing to transportation to cuisine, and more. He recounts savoring fish and chips, riding buses and trains, and searching for an outlet near a mirror to plug in his electric razor. Throughout the remarkable adventure, the Bard's immortal words are center stage: "O, had I but followed the arts!" Join Justin as he does just that.