Book Description

Today, debates about the cultural role of the humanities and the arts are roiling. Responding to renewed calls to reassess the prominence of canonical writers, Shakespeare On Stage and Off introduces new perspectives on why and how William Shakespeare still matters. Lively and accessible, the book considers what it means to play, work, and live with Shakespeare in the twenty-first century. Contributors – including Antoni Cimolino, artistic director of the Stratford Festival – engage with contemporary stagings of the plays, from a Trump-like Julius Caesar in New York City to a black Iago in Stratford-upon-Avon and a female Hamlet on the Toronto stage, and explore the effect of performance practices on understandings of identity, death, love, race, gender, class, and culture. Providing an original approach to thinking about Shakespeare, some essays ask how the knowledge and skills associated with working lives can illuminate the playwright's works. Other essays look at ways of interacting with Shakespeare in the digital age, from Shakespearean resonances in Star Trek and Indian films to live broadcasts of theatre performances, social media, and online instructional tools. Together, the essays in this volume speak to how Shakespeare continues to enrich contemporary culture. A timely guide to the ongoing importance of Shakespearean drama, Shakespeare On Stage and Off surveys recent developments in performance, adaptation, popular culture, and education. Contributors include Russell J. Bodi (Owens State Community College), Christie Carson (Royal Holloway University of London), Brandon Christopher (University of Winnipeg), Antoni Cimolino (Stratford Festival), Jacob Claflin (College of Eastern Idaho), Lauren Eriks Cline (University of Michigan), David B. Goldstein (York University), Gina Hausknecht (Coe College), Peter Holland (University of Notre Dame), R.W. Jones (University of Texas), Christina Luckyj (Dalhousie University), Julia Reinhard Lupton (University of California, Irvine), Linda McJannet (Bentley University), Roderick H. McKeown (University of Toronto), Hayley O'Malley (University of Michigan), Amrita Sen (University of Calcutta), Eric Spencer (The College of Idaho), Lisa S. Starks (University of South Florida St Petersburg), and Jeffrey R. Wilson (Harvard University).