If Shakespeare could time-travel, he would be amazed to discover that his works are being studied as academic texts in university classrooms. He might be much more at home with their vibrant global lives onstage, onscreen, and online, since his own theater world was popular and dynamic. His was a collaborative, open-access profession in which writers and performers continuously transformed existing material into creative new entertainment. In this class, we will begin by exploring Shakespeare’s Hamlet through cinematic and theatrical adaptations from around the world. We will make use of an online library of tagged video clips that can generate illuminating comparisons through hands-on student editing and compilation. We will then turn to The Tempest, bringing it to life through group performance work that develops our own diverse set of interpretations. No experience with Shakespeare or performance required—just the willingness to participate and learn!
