Episode Topic: Shakespeare and Community: Emerging Voices

Shakespeare remains the world’s most produced and studied playwright. However, these pursuits have disenfranchised significant segments of society by perpetuating a cultural elitism that belies the notion of accessibility inherent in his works. In the 20th century, a movement of programs, designed with and for the incarcerated, the differently abled, and those disadvantaged by socio-economic factors (to name a few), explore Shakespeare through their unique lived experience. “Shakespeare and Community” highlights these practices through a series of panel discussions, providing a reflective space wherein the larger community can gain a broader understanding of who Shakespeare “is” and “can be” in the context of a rapidly changing culture.

Featured Speakers: 

• Rowan Mackenzie, Artistic Director, Shakespeare UnBard
• Florence March, Professor in Renaissance and Restoration Drama, University Paul-Valéry, Montpellier (France); Director of the Institute for Research on the Renaissance, the Neo-Classical Age, and the Enlightenment (IRCL), French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Université Paul-Valéry; Co-Editor-in-Chief, Cahiers Élisabéthains: A Journal of English Renaissance Studies
• Janice Valls-Russell, Principal Research Associate, France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Institute for Research on the Renaissance, the Neo-Classical Age, and the Enlightenment (IRCL), Université Paul Valéry, Montpellier (France)
• Abigail Rokison-Woodall, Lecturer in Shakespeare and Theatre, Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham 
• Scott Jackson, Mary Irene Ryan Family Executive Director, University of Notre Dame

Read this episode's recap over on the University of Notre Dame's open online learning community platform, ThinkND: go.nd.edu/9a5767. 

This podcast is a part of the London Book Club ThinkND Series titled “London Shakespeare Lecture 10th Anniversary Series”.

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