Shakespeare at Emory Events

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Special Events | Lectures and Workshops | Performances and Film Screenings
Carlos Reads Shakespeare | Family Events

Special Events

Will of the People: Shakespeare's Folios and Their Meaning in Our World

NOVEMBER 10, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. | SCHWARTZ CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS, EMERSON CONCERT HALL

How do artists and thinkers interpret the continued influence of Shakespeare amongst diverse constituencies? Drawing upon the collections of the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, our panelists (Dr. Nicholas GreneTom Magill, and Dr. Ayanna Thompson) will explore Shakespeare’s place in the African American arts tradition and in modern Ireland, examining both the influence of Shakespeare since the 1916 Irish Rebellion and in contemporary Belfast. Music from Duke Ellington’s Shakespeare-inspired album Such Sweet Thunder will be performed by Dr. Dwight Andrews and musicians from Milton High School.

All's Well that Ends Well

As we near the end of First Folio! The book that gave us Shakespeare, join us to wish a fond farewell to this important book with a pair of very special events:

Michael Witmore: "The Wonder of Will"

DECEMBER 5, 2016 at 4 p.m. | MICHAEL C. CARLOS MUSEUM, ACKERMAN HALL

Dr. Michael Witmore, director of the Folger Shakespeare Library, discusses the legacy of Shakespeare and the Folger Library’s extensive collection of the Bard in print.

The Bard and Poetry

DECEMBER 5, 2016 at 7 p.m.  | MICHAEL C. CARLOS MUSEUM, ACKERMAN HALL

The last of Shakespeare at Emory’s events while the First Folio is onsite at Emory, “The Bard and Poetry” will feature former Poet Laureate Natasha Tretheweyand award winning poets Kevin Young and Jericho Brown.

A Conversation with Harry Lennix

MARCH 25, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. | MICHAEL C. CARLOS MUSEUM, ACKERMAN HALL

Emory's ongoing Year of Shakespeare invites you to join actor Harry Lennix and Emory Professor Dwight Andrews for a conversation about the intersection of artistic creativity with spirituality and social justice.

Harry Lennix is an accomplished film, television, and stage actor. His credits include Julie Taymor's TitusThe Black ListMan of SteelBatman vs. SupermanRomeo and Juliet in Harlem, and Henry IV, as well as the critically acclaimed series 24 as Walid Al-Rezani.

This event is made possible by grants from the Hightower Fund and from the Emory College Center for Creativity and Arts' David Goldwasser Series in Religion and the Arts, and with the assistance of the Michael C. Carlos Museum, the Department of English, and the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library.


Lectures and Workshops

Dr. Tiffany Stern: "Secrets of the First Folio"

MARCH 29, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. | JONES ROOM, WOODRUFF LIBRARY

The year of Shakespeare at Emory will begin with a lecture by Oxford University Professor Tiffany Stern. She will discuss the making of the First Folio and the impact of this publication on the enduring popularity of Shakespeare.

Shakespeare and Book Arts: A Panel Discussion

OCTOBER 20, 2016 at 4 p.m. | JONES ROOM, WOODRUFF LIBRARY LEVEL 3

Shakespeare and Book Arts: A Panel Discussion on Shakespeare's Impact on Fine Press and Artists' Books: Shakespeare at Emory is proud to sponsor this panel in concordance with the opening of the Shakespeare and Book Arts Exhibition at the Woodruff Library. The four panelists (Dr. Sujata Iyengar, Dr. Sarah Higinbotham, William Taft, and Dr. Kate Doubler)  will speak about how Shakespeare’s work and the historic publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio inspires the creation of fine press and artists’ books today. Topics covered will include the panelists’ own experiences with letterpress printing, paper making, and woodcut printing; how groups of students at Georgia Tech and a maximum security prison have made their own Shakespeare-inspired books; and the exquisite and sometimes strange Shakespeare artists’ books in the collection of Emory’s Rose Library.

Free and open to the public

Andrea Mays: "The Millionaire and the Bard"

OCTOBER 24, 2016 at 4 p.m. | TEACHING AND LEARNING STUDIO, STUART A. ROSE LIBRARY

Author and economist Andrea Mays presents a lecture based on her book, The Millionaire and the Bard (2015). Join us as Professor Mays traces Henry Folger’s obsession with Shakespeare’s First Folio and the creation of the largest First Folio collection in the world.
Free and open to the public

The Soul of 'Wit': An Evening for Educators

NOVEMBER 11, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. | MICHAEL C. CARLOS MUSEUM, ACKERMAN HALL

Margaret Edson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Wit and survivor of 25 years of classroom teaching, presents an Evening for Educators in conjunction with the exhibition of Shakespeare’s First Folio. You know, the English dramatist; as in: Hey, King’s Men, let’s put on a show! Nobody understands live performance like a middle-school teacher, and no play steals great lines from Hamlet like Wit. In this stand-up essay, Edson explores the free-wheeling, slapdash world of Elizabethan theater and places “To be or not to be” smack dab in the middle of it. Followed by Q & A with Ms. Edson and Dr. Sheila Cavanagh

Registration required by calling 404-727-2363

Shakespeare's Words and Works: A Creativity Conversation with Lauren Gunderson and Dan Wechsler

NOVEMBER 14, 2016 at 4 p.m. | TEACHING AND LEARNING STUDIO, STUART A. ROSE LIBRARY

Emory alumni Lauren Gunderson and Dan Wechsler join moderator Rosemary Magee in a Creativity Conversation devoted to Shakespeare. Lauren Gunderson is an award-winning playwright whose new play, The Book of Will, focuses on the survival of Shakespeare’s words via the printing of the First Folio. Dan Wechsler is an antiquarian bookseller whose book, Shakespeare’s Beehive: An Annotated Elizabethan Dictionary Comes to Light (co-written with George Koppelman) examines a copy of Baret’s Alvearie that contains what Wechsler and Koppelman argue are annotations in Shakespeare’s own hand.

Free and open to the public

Shakespeare and Accessibility Symposium

NOVEMBER 16, 2016 from 4-6 p.m. | 360 ATWOOD HALL

This symposium features a number of American and international actors, directors, singers, and professors who will discuss ways that casts, audiences, and designers have become more diverse in the world of Shakespeare.  Among those participating:  Karen Saillant, of the International Opera Theatre, will discuss the A Midsummer Night's Dream costumes designed by local students with Downs Syndrome in Umbria, Italy; Stephen Unwin, prominent British director, will talk about Shakespeare and neurodisability; Jill Bradbury, Gallaudet University, will present on Shakespeare and American Sign Language; and Andrew Trimmer and Genevieve Simon will offer insights from their work with the "Hunter Heartbeat Method,"  bringing Shakespeare to audiences on the autism spectrum, a project created in conjunction with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Ohio State University. Bill Rauch, Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, will speak on film about OSF efforts to create "Access for All." 

One Hundred Years of Shakespeare in Atlanta

The 2016-2017 Georgia Seminar presented by Georgia Humanities and The Bill and Carol Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry.

FEBRUARY 2, 2017 from 6:30-8 p.m. | FOX CENTER FOR HUMANISTIC INQUIRY

FEBRUARY 9, 2017 from 6:30-8 p.m. | FOX CENTER FOR HUMANISTIC INQUIRY

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 from 6:30-8 p.m. | FOX CENTER FOR HUMANISTIC INQUIRY

FEBRUARY 23, 2017 from 6:30-8 p.m. | FOX CENTER FOR HUMANISTIC INQUIRY

Seating is limited and must be reserved in advance. For more information see http://fchi.emory.edu/home/documents/GREAT%20WORKS%20SEMINARS/Flyer-ShakespeareF.pdf#Shakespeare.

Dr. Sheila Cavanagh and Dr. Cassandra Quave: "Shakespeare's Natural World"

MARCH 29, 2017 at 7 p.m. | OXFORD SCIENCE BUILDING, ROOM 115

Explore the botanical wonders of Shakespeare's Natural World, on display in the Oxford Science Building, and hear lectures by Dr. Sheila Cavanagh, co-director of Emory's Year of Shakespeare and Director of the World Shakespeare Project, and Dr. Cassandra Quave, curator of the Emory University Herbarium.

Dr. Sheila Cavanagh: "'And There's the Humor of It:' Shakespeare and the Four Humors"

APRIL 11, 2017 from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | JONES ROOM, WOODRUFF LIBRARY

Join Dr. Sheila Cavanagh, co-director of Emory's Year of Shakespeare and Director of the World Shakespeare Project, for a talk and presentation of the travelling exhibition, 'And there's the humor of it:' Shakespeare and the four humors, currently on display in the Health Sciences Library. Bring your own lunch--dessert will be provided.

Sponsored by the Health Sciences Library.


Performances and Film Screenings

Theater Emory: As You Like It

MARCH 31 - APRIL 10, 2016 | MARY GRAY MUNROE THEATER, DOBBS UNIVERSITY CENTER

Theater Emory launches its yearlong celebration of the 400th Anniversary of Shakespeare’s death with the great romantic comedy, As You Like It, with two versions: an all-male cast directed by Tim McDonough and an all-female cast directed by JanAkers.  More information ››

Theater Emory: Shakespeare Anniversary Celebration

APRIL 23, 2016, NOON TO MIDNIGHT | SCHWARTZ CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS

Theater Emory hosts a vibrant celebration of Shakespeare's life and work during a 12-hour tribute featuring performances, refreshments, and merriment. The events are free but require reservations. More information ››

Theater Emory: The Boys from Syracuse

SEPTEMBER 22 - OCTOBER 2, 2016 | THEATER LAB, SCHWARTZ CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS

Written in 1938, this musical reimagining of "The Comedy of Errors" was the first American musical comedy based on a Shakespeare play. Freely adapted by legendary Broadway impresario George Abbot and featuring standards from Rodgers & Hart, "The Boys from Syracuse" infuses the ancient setting of Greco-Roman Ephesus with the burlesque and vaudeville spirit of 1930s New York City. A classic farce about mistaken identity, divided families, and confused love, this production vibrates with the creative energy of the traditionally marginalized, ethnically diverse community of artists who came together to produce this meaningful farce in the months leading up to World War II. Directed by Donald McManus. 

Tickets and more information ››

Emory Cinematheque presents four films from Shakespeare's plays

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING | OCTOBER 16, 2016 at 4 p.m. | WHITE HALL 208

Kenneth Branagh directs and stars in this 1993 romantic comedy set in Sicily. Also starring Emma Thompson, Keanu Reeves, Denzel Washington, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Keaton, and Imelda Staunton.

FALSTAFF AKA CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT | OCTOBER 21 at 7:30 p.m. | WHITE HALL 208

Orson Welles’ 1965 adaptation of Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2Henry V, and The Merry Wives of Windsor, in which Welles stars as Falstaff. Also starring Jeanne Moreau, Margaret Rutherford, John Gielgud, Fernando Rey, Keith Baxter, Marina Vlady, and Walter Chiari.

RAN | OCTOBER 30, 2016 at 3:30 p.m. | WHITE HALL 208

Akira Kurosawa’s dark adaptation of King Lear set in feudal Japan. Released in 1985 and starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, and Jinpachi Nezu.

TITUS | November 4, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. | WHITE HALL 208

Julie Taymor’s adaptation of Titus Andronicusdescribed by Roger Ebert as “brilliant and absurd.” Starring Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Angus Macfadyen, Harry Lennix, Alan Cumming, Matthew Rhys, and Raz Degan.

Admission to all films is free

Emory Choral Concert: Music of Shakespeare

OCTOBER 15, 2016  at 8 p.m. | EMERSON CONCERT HALL, SCHWARTZ CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS

Eric Nelson directs the University Chorus and Concert Choir, with guest artists William Ransompiano, and members of the Emory voice faculty.

Admission is free (no ticket required)

Dooley's Players present Bloody Shakespeare

OCTOBER 31, 2016 at 8 p.m. | THEATER LAB, SCHWARTZ CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS

There's no spookier way to spend Halloween than with Dooley's Players and their performance of Bloody Shakespeare, a student-produced medley of Shakespeare's scariest scenes. For one night only, come witness horror (and a bit of comedy) like you've never seen before! Costumes are encouraged.

Admission is free (no ticket required), but seats are limited.

 

The Bard in Bollywood: Vishal Bhardwaj's Shakespeare Trilogy

In conjunction with the exhibition of Shakespeare’s First Folio, the Carlos will screen Vishal Bhardwaj’s Shakespeare Trilogy, which brought the Indian filmmaker and composer international critical acclaim. The Bhojanic Food Truck will arrive at the Carlos at 6:30 p.m. before each screening offering Indian street food to moviegoers.  

MAQBOOL | NOVEMBER 1, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. | MICHAEL C. CARLOS MUSEUM, ACKERMAN HALL

Deepika Bahri, of Emory’s English Department, will introduce the series, which opens with Maqbool, Bhardwaj’s interpretation of Macbeth set against the backdrop of Mumbai’s criminal underworld. 

OMKARA | NOVEMBER 8, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. | MICHAEL C. CARLOS MUSEUM, ACKERMAN HALL

Vishal Bhardwaj’s Shakespeare Trilogy continues with Omkara, Shakespeare’s Othello amid the intertwined worlds of politics and organized crime in Bhardwaj’s native Uttar Pradesh.

HAIDER | NOVEMBER 15, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. | MICHAEL C. CARLOS MUSEUM, ACKERMAN HALL

Vishal Bhardwaj’s Shakespeare Trilogy concludes with the critically acclaimed Haider, which sets Hamlet during the 1995 insurgency in Kashmir, with Shahid Kapoor as Haider and Irrfan Khan as the ghost of the king.  

Theater Emory: Romeo and Juliet

NOVEMBER 3 - 13, 2016 | MARY GRAY MUNROE THEATER, DOBBS UNIVERSITY CENTER

Set in Renaissance Verona, Theater Emory’s Romeo & Juliet brings Shakespeare’s immortal love story to exquisite life with a fast-paced banquet of period music and costume, sword play, poetic language, memorable characters, and plenty of tragic romance. Don’t miss this classic tale from one of Shakespeare’s best. Directed by John Ammerman. 

Tickets and more information ››

Staged Reading: Castelvines y Monteses

NOVEMBER 7, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. | MARY GRAY MUNROE THEATER, DOBBS UNIVERSITY CENTER

This collaboration with Emory's Department of Spanish and Portuguese brings to stage a reading of Spanish Golden Age playwright, Lope de Vega's 1603 version of the Romeo and Juliet story.

Reserve your free tickets here

Staged Reading: Fortunes of the Moor

NOVEMBER 9, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. | THEATER LAB, SCHWARTZ CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS

This parable of adoption and greed presents a new vision of Shakespeare's Othello. When Othello's African family arrive in Italy to claim the child of their son, they face treachery, racism, and a contentious custody battle. Clever plot twists combine with formal language to complement Shakespeare's story, offering a bold critique of the white culture that exploited and destroyed Othello and now threatens his son's life. Written and directed by Barbara and Carlton Molette.  

In conjunction with Pellom McDaniels, Curator, African American Collections, Rose Library.

Reserve your free tickets here

Staged Reading: The Book of Will

NOVEMBER 13, 2016 at 3 p.m. | MICHAEL C. CARLOS MUSEUM, ACKERMAN HALL

Staged reading of the play The Book of Will by award-winning playwright and Emory Alumna Lauren Gunderson (04C). Gunderson's play is based on Henry Condell and John Heminges, co-editors of the 1623 Folio. Lauren Gunderson was named one of the top 20 most produced playwrights in America for 2015 by American Theater Magazine. A reception with Lauren Gunderson will follow the event.

Free and open to the public. No reservations are required. 



Staged Reading: Une Tempête (A Tempest)

FEBRUARY 9 - 12, 2017 | THEATER LAB, SCHWARTZ CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS

Staged reading of Aimé Césaire’s play, Une Tempête (A Tempest), directed by Paul Carter Harrison, author of Black Theatre: Ritual Performance in the African Diaspora.
February 9 - 11 at 7:30pm
February 12 at 2:00pm, reading followed by a forum and reception

Reserve your free tickets here

Theater Emory: Ravished

MARCH 30 - APRIL 9, 2017 | MARY GRAY MUNROE THEATER, DOBBS UNIVERSITY CENTER

Let's see how disgusting and incredible love is and how devastating the repercussions can be. Expect Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Armageddon. In the words of Jason Derulo, it's about to "Get Ugly." Conceived and Directed by Ariel Fristoe and Maia Knispel. 

Tickets and more information ››

ECMSA: Shakespeare and Beethoven

APRIL 11, 2017 at 7 p.m. | MICHAEL C. CARLOS MUSEUM, ACKERMAN HALL

The Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta (ECMSA) Emerson Series presents Shakespeare and Beethoven. Enjoy Beethoven's Tempest Piano Sonata and Romeo and Juliet String Quartet with Elena Cholakova and the Vega String Quartet, with readings from the Bard by Richard Prior.


Carlos Reads Shakespeare

NOTE: The "Carlos Reads Shakespeare" series is full and no additional reservations will be taken.

Carlos Reads: Titus Andronicus

SEPTEMBER 12, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. | CARLOS MUSEUM BOARD ROOM, LEVEL 2

In conjunction with the exhibition of Shakespeare’s First Folio this fall, the Carlos Reads book club will read and discuss all of the Bard’s plays set in antiquity, guided by Emory Professor of English Sheila Cavanagh. We begin with Titus Andronicus, a tale of competing families trapped in a dangerous cycle of lust and betrayal. While bowing to sixteenth-century audiences’ taste for revenge tragedies, the play also investigates many important questions about masculinity, political order, civilization, and (native) tongues.   

Carlos Reads: Julius Caesar

OCTOBER 3, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. | CARLOS MUSEUM BOARD ROOM, LEVEL 2

Only appearing for a short time in the play, the figure of Julius Caesar casts a large shadow over the entire drama. As much about Brutus as Caesar, this tragedy of the back-stabbing friend and the consequences of his actions play out across the very public spectacle of a burgeoning empire. Though grounded in Roman history the play lends itself well to critical dialogue about democratic processes and popular sovereignty that sound familiar in a 21st-century American context.  

Carlos Reads: Troilus and Cressida

OCTOBER 24, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. | CARLOS MUSEUM BOARD ROOM, LEVEL 2

In 1602, Shakespeare channeled Chaucer, Homer, and countless other writers into Troilus and Cressida, an epic tragedy of doomed lovers set within larger scope of the Trojan War.

Carlos Reads: Antony and Cleopatra

NOVEMBER 7, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. | CARLOS MUSEUM BOARD ROOM, LEVEL 2

Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra is Romeo and Juliet for grown-ups as Mark Antony and Cleopatra VI fight to keep both their love and their immense power intact. The play shifts scenes from a calcified Egypt to a dynamic Rome, and sensual, natural spaces juxtapose urban, austere ones.   

Carlos Reads: Coriolanus

NOVEMBER 14, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. | CARLOS MUSEUM BOARD ROOM, LEVEL 2

Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, based on Plutarch’s account of the life of Roman general Caius Martius, is a violent, fast-paced contest for power. After a military triumph, the general is given the honorary title Coriolanus and the position of Consul. Too proud to respect the will of the people, however, he soon finds himself despised by the mob, and speaks out passionately against popular rule. Driven from the city as a traitor, he allies himself with his old enemies and begins to plot a merciless revenge.    

Carlos Reads: Timon of Athens

NOVEMBER 28, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. | CARLOS MUSEUM BOARD ROOM, LEVEL 2

In Timon of Athens, a philanthropist frivolously gives away large sums of money to his friends, enabling them to ease through life, and then, when he goes broke, he asks for it back. As the play unfolds, Timon’s actions send him on a downward spiral until he has lost friends and fortune. Timon confronts the nature of friendship, the politics of inclusion, and the meaning of charity. 

Carlos Reads: Pericles, Prince of Tyre

DECEMEBER 12, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. | CARLOS MUSEUM BOARD ROOM, LEVEL 2

"How they may be, and yet in two, as you will live, resolve it you." These are the closing lines of the riddle of King Antiochus in one of Shakespeare's most perplexing problem plays. When the young Prince Pericles of Tyre figures out the riddle, the answer thrusts him into a storm of political intrigue, exile, familial lust, and betrayal that sends him across the pristine blue seas and rocky coasts of the ancient eastern Mediterranean. Not appearing until the Third Folio, Pericles is thought to have been written by two playwrights and has continuously confounded audiences to this day. Based on medieval legends about the adventures of the Greek Apollonius of Tyre, this late play and its riddles are sure to arouse debate.  

Carlos Reads: The Tempest

MARCH 27, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. | CARLOS MUSEUM BOARD ROOM, LEVEL 2

The Year of Shakespeare continues with his last wholly written play, The Tempest. In conjunction with the exhibition Desire and Consumption: The New World in the Age of Shakespeare, Sheila Cavanagh explores connections to both new and old worlds, from shipwrecks in the Americas as source material to "deliberately placed echoes of classical narratives."

Carlos Reads YA!: Romeo and Juliet

NOVEMBER 18, 2016 at 6 p.m. | CARLOS MUSEUM TATE ROOM, PLAZA LEVEL

Teens are invited to read Gareth Hinds’ dynamic graphic novel version of Romeo and Juliet and discuss it with Justin Shaw, Emory PhD candidate, in this after-hours museum experience. For 13-15 year olds.  

This program is full and no additional registrations may be taken


Family Events

Homeschool Day: Shakespeare's First Folio

NOVEMBER 9, 2016 at Noon | CARLOS MUSEUM ROTUNDA, LEVEL ONE

Homeschool families are invited to spend the afternoon with Shakespeare. View the first printed collection of his plays, experiment with the printing process used to create the Folio, and play with the language of Shakespeare in an acting workshop led by Emory Theater students. For children 6-16 years old and an accompanying adult. 

Fee: $15 for Carlos Museum members; $20 for non-members. Registration is required by contacting Alyson Vuley at 404–727–0519 or avuley@emory.edu.

Family Storytelling Event: All the World's a Stage

NOVEMBER 12, 2016 at 2 p.m. | MICHAEL C. CARLOS MUSEUM, ACKERMAN HALL

In collaboration with the Emory English Department, Megan Hicks, the popular storyteller also known as the Origami Swami, will share tales from two of Shakespeare’s plays, Taming of the Shrew and As You Like It. Afterwards, children in the audience will be invited to make table-top origami stages and stick puppets to take home and use in their own dramatic productions. 

This program is free, but registration is required by contacting Alyson Vuley at 404-727-0519 or avuley@emory.edu.

Children's Workshop: Shakespeare Bookmaking

NOVEMBER 20, 2016 AT 2 p.m. | CARLOS MUSEUM TATE ROOM, PLAZA LEVEL

Children will view one of the world’s most famous books, Shakespeare’s First Folio, the first printed collection of his plays from 1623, before experimenting with bookmaking techniques with Charlene Shikany of Red Wall Studios. For 9-12 year olds. 

This program is free, but registration is required by contacting Alyson Vuley at 404-727-0519 or avuley@emory.edu.