Hello everyone! Steven here and this week I am going to be filling in for Shani for The Scrivener. This week we have CFP’s from Finland, and Canada, along with a whole slew of events from The Stratford Festival and Forum in Ontario Canada. So, without further ado let’s jump right in:
Stratford Shakespeare Festival and Forum to Hold Many Events Related to Performance, Multimedia, Scholarship and More:
The Stratford Festival in Ontario Canada has announced its line up of events for its upcoming season celebrating the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth. Some of which have already happened. Apart from performances of shows like King Lear, A Midsummer Nights Dream,King John, and others the festival also plans to hold events like the Shakespeare Slam-a lively debate discussing the inherent madness of the Artistic Process which took place on April 23 2014. Other events include an exhibit on the only Canadian copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio, a presentation called Souls Under Pressure using King Lear as its focus and many others. There are many upcoming events that are not to be missed. See the article below from the festival for details on the many events the Stratford Festival and Forum have planned for this historic milestone.
Today marks the 450th anniversary of the birth of Shakespeare
Celebrate all season long at the Stratford Festival and Forum
April 23, 2014… The Stratford Festival is celebrating the 450th anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare all season long, with five Shakespeare productions on its stages and a series of more than 20 special events at the Forum.
The 2014 season launches on May 26 with the opening of King Lear, directed by Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino and starring Colm Feore. Previews for this not-to-be-missed production begin on May 5.
For the first time in its history, the Stratford Festival is presenting two versions of the same Shakespeare play. A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be presented on the main Festival Theatre stage, directed by Chris Abraham and starring Stephen Ouimette, Evan Buliung and Jonathan Goad. It runs from May 16 to October 11. A second version, reimagined by director Peter Sellars, uses four actors – Sarah Afful, Dion Johnstone, Trish Lindström, and Mike Nadajewski – to explore the multiple worlds of Shakespeare’s play. This production runs from July 11 to September 20.
Fresh from his hit Broadway productions of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Richard III, Tim Carroll returns to Stratford to direct King John, starring Tom McCamus and Seana McKenna, running from May 21 to September 20. Director Gary Griffin takes the helm of Antony and Cleopatra, starring Geraint Wyn Davies and Yanna McIntosh, running from August 3 to September 20.
April 23: Shakespeare Slam
Paul Gross, Steven Page and Hawksley Workman are headlining the Stratford Festival Forum’s Shakespeare Slam on Wednesday, April 23, at Toronto’s Koerner Hall. This celebration marking Shakespeare’s 450th birthday will be hosted by Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino, and will showcase the Festival’s 2014 season theme of Madness: Minds Pushed to the Edge.
Two teams of spirited debaters will square off on whether madness is inherent in the artistic process. On the one side are actor Paul Gross, famed for his portrayal of Slings and Arrows’ mentally overwrought artistic director Geoffrey Tennant, and Lisa Brown, founder and executive/artistic director of Workman Arts, which celebrates and promotes the work of artists living with mental-health and addiction issues.
Opposing them are Juno Award-winning musician, Festival composer and renowned troubadour Steven Page and the Festival’s resident Rhodes Scholar, the hilarious and erudite David Goldbloom, who, in addition to being past chair of the Festival’s Board, is the senior medical advisor for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto and the chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
Once they’ve hashed things over, the music begins! Hawksley Workman takes centre stage with his own brand of musical performance that is certain to leave you wanting more – which you’ll be able to find in Stratford, September 11 to 20, when he presents his Bacchae-inspired cabaret The God That Comes at the Forum.
Steven Page will also offer up one of his exuberant musical performances, featuring songs combining humour and pathos in a memorable exploration of the evening’s theme.
The event culminates in a truly joyous grand finale, featuring Slam headliners and members of the Festival company.
Shakespeare 450: A Celebration of the Bard
From August 16 to 20, the Stratford Festival Forum presents Shakespeare 450: A Celebration of the Bard, which features the following events, which serve as excellent complements to the productions on stage:
Shakespeare’s First Folio
August 16 and 17
For the first time ever, the Festival will have the only Canadian copy of the 1623 First Folio of Shakespeare’s works on display at the Stratford Perth Museum, courtesy of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto.
The Secrets of the Shakespeare First Folio
August 16
Dr. Eric Rasmussen spent two decades studying the 232 surviving copies of the First Folio. While the only Canadian-held copy is on display, Dr. Rasmussen will share stories of those who have possessed, lost, stolen and treasured these priceless pieces of cultural history.
Elizabethan Court Dance
August 16
Learn dances from the period and how they functioned in the social order. Instructor: Rebecca Harper.
Souls Under Pressure
August 17
Where is the soul in Shakespeare? Taking King Lear as their focus, Torrance Kirby and Paul Yachnin of McGill University ask what happens to the human spirit when people are pushed to the limits of endurance.
Shakesprov
August 18
How hard could it have been for one man to have written Shakespeare’s canon? In this fun, engaging workshop, led by notable improviser, Second City faculty member and Shakespeare enthusiast Marjorie Malpass, you will learn the keys to inventing your own Shakespeare play on the spot. Uncover the secrets of improvising in iambic pentameter. Play with imagery, invent words, find just the right insults – and discover the power of being your own bard.
Embodying Shakespeare’s Text
August 18
Explore and immerse yourself in the power of Shakespeare’s words. Led by Festival coaching staff and special guest artists, this three-hour workshop engages you in the processes our actors use to inhabit Shakespeare’s worlds.
Shakespeare’s History
August 19
Explore our playbill’s three examples of Shakespearean chronicle: King Lear (legendary), King John (historical) andAntony and Cleopatra (Roman) and how their interpretations reveal the playwright’s mind.
The Life and Adventures of Sam Wanamaker: The Man Who Built the Globe
August 19
This illustrated talk by Paul Prescott, of the University of Warwick, draws on previously unseen archival material to present key episodes in Sam Wanamaker’s extraordinary journey from actor to cultural entrepreneur as the visionary behind Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
The Playwright’s Crucible
August 19
As in Shakespeare’s day, watch a playwright contend with argumentative actors, demanding management and a temperamental director as they try to create his play before your eyes. Hosted by Joanne O’Sullivan.
Shakespeare on the Road.
August 20
Rev. Dr. Paul Edmondson, from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, and Drs. Paul Prescott and Susan Brock, from the University of Warwick, tell their story of reverse pilgrimage and shine a light on Shakespeare Festivals around North America.
Even more Shakespeare events
Special Shakespeare-themed Forum events – ranging from a talk by Camille Paglia to a screening of the new film Still Dreaming – will be offered at other times during the season, as well. These include:
Screening: Still Dreaming
June 28
A 2014 film directed by Hank Rogerson and Jilann Spitzmiller, makers of Shakespeare Behind Bars. Retirees in the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, N.J., and directors from New York’s Fiasco Theater stage A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
“I Have a Dream”: Peter Sellars and Guests
July 7
Martin Luther King’s words ring forward powerfully into the 21st century and back across human history where they meet, among other forebears and prophets, William Shakespeare. This seminar honours Shakespeare, the activist, and theatre, the catalyst.
How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare
July 12
Crazy for You playwright Ken Ludwig describes how he instilled a love of Shakespeare in his own children.
The Sonnet Man: Devon Glover
July 12
With the jagged rhythms of rap and the smoothness of rhythm and blues, New York hip-hop artist Devon Glover is set to inspire a new generation of Shakespeare lovers.
Lear’s Shadow: Contemporary Reflections on Diagnoses, Abuses and Testamentary Capacity
July 19
Does Lear suffer from dementia? Are his daughters guilty of elder abuse? Leading geriatric psychiatrists examine the play and its central character through the lens of their practice.
Dream a Little Dream
July 20
This drama workshop introduces 10- to 12-year-olds to the story and characters of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Using pieces from the Costume and Props Warehouse, participants then rehearse and present a scene from the play.
Reweaving Shakespeare’s Cosmology
July 23
This seminar explores Shakespeare’s “great chain of being” as it links to Buddhist cosmology, Islamic theology and indigenous spiritualities in the West and the East. With Peter Sellars and guests.
Sans Teeth, Sans Eyes
July 24
Susan Krauss Whitbourne, psychologist and professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, explores the basis for ageism in Shakespeare’s writing and how people today defy these stereotypes.
Apocrypha No More: Shakespeare’s Collaborative Plays
August 15
Scholars Eric Rasmussen and Will Sharpe, with Festival artists, explore issues of authorship, collaboration and attribution surrounding Shakespeare’s work.
Not with the Eye
August 20
A discussion on the aesthetics of gender – homosexuality, bisexuality and love – as portrayed on stage in Shakespeare’s time.
Masks, Madness and Shakespeare’s Sonnets
August 21
An entertaining and informative glimpse into aspects of the use of masks in the theatre and the “madness” of acting. Company members explore Shakespeare’s sonnets using character half-masks. Directed and compiled by veteran Canadian theatre director Guy Sprung in collaboration with master mask teacher Brian Smith, this informal airing is an innovative window on the power and poetry of Shakespeare’s sonnets.
Music, Such As Charmeth Sleep: Musical Interpretations of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
August 21
Musician and theatre scholar Lois Kivesto explores how composers such as Purcell, Mendelssohn, Britten and Henze have made this play their own.
Camille Paglia: The Dark Women of Shakespeare
September 20
Feminist and social critic Camille Paglia speaks about Shakespeare and misogyny – what is it about the mystery and ambiguity of women that so frightens men both then and now.
To purchase tickets to these events and productions, contact the box office at 1.800.567.1600 or visitwww.stratfordfestival.ca.
Sustaining support for the Stratford Festival Forum is generously provided by Kelly & Michael Meighen and the T.R. Meighen Foundation. Support for the 2014 Forum is generously provided by Nandita & Julian Wise. Selected Forum events supported by Bell Let’s Talk.
Bell Let’s Talk is the host sponsor of the Shakespeare Slam.
The 2014 season of the Stratford Festival runs from April 21 to October 12, featuring King Lear; Crazy for You; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; The Beaux’ Stratagem; Man of La Mancha; Alice Through the Looking-Glass; Hay Fever;King John; Mother Courage and Her Children; Antony and Cleopatra; Christina, The Girl King; A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Chamber Play; and more than 200 events in the Stratford Festival Forum.
Calls for Papers and Events:
Stationers’ Company to hold Event: Abbey to City: Early Printing and The Stationers’ Company:
The Stationers’ Company Coat of Arms. Originally found on the Stationers’ Company Wikipedia page. Also, found in Wikimedia CommonsStationers’ Company, a professional society in London has announced that it will be holding an event to celebrate the publication of Peter Blayney’s The Stationers’ Company and the Printers of London, 1501-1557 by Cambridge University Press. The event is to be held at Stationers’ Hall in London will be held May 27, 2014 from 5:30 pm to 9:15 pm. Entitled Abbey to City Early Printing ad The Stationers’ Company, the event will explore the early history of the printed word and book in England, in the before the incorporating of the Stationers’ Company that occurred in 1557. For more information, please see the announcement here.
Call for Papers From Pragmatics on The Page Symposium:
Pragmatics on the Page has sent out a call for papers. Entitled Linguistics Meets Book History: Seeking New Approaches (A Pragmatics on the Page Symposium), this event will be held at the University of Turku in Finland October 24 and 25 2014. According to the announcement: “Submissions are invited from researchers working on the interplay of the verbal/linguistic and the visual/material in historical texts, including both manuscripts and printed materials. This two-day symposium is a forum for discussing the methods, techniques and tools used for research which combines pragmatics, philology, book studies and/or the digital humanities. Our goal is to encourage the exchange and development of ‘BEST PRACTICES’ in this interdisciplinary arena”. For more information, including confirmed speakers, deadlines and other information, please click here.
Call for Papers From the University of Quebec:
A Call for Papers from the University of Quebec in Montreal Canada has been issued for a future conference. This conference will focus on “the different strategies conceived for the visual representation (or denunciation) of information overload, as well as the sometimes unintentional creation of even more information along the way”. Entitled Coping with Copia: Epistemological Excess in Early Modern Art and Science, the main focus of this conference will be on the science and art in the Early Modern period. It will explore how people looked the information given, and how they dealt with processing the information visually. It will also deal with how that period handled information overload. For more information on the conference including deadlines and topics, please click here.
Call for Papers From Shakespeare (Journal of the British Shakespeare Association):
The British Shakespeare Association has announced a Call for Papers for a Special Issue of its scholarly journal Shakespeare. The issue topic entitled Shakespeare and Jonson will be exploring the pairing and partnership of Shakespeare and his contemporary Ben Jonson. The papers will explore in depth the relationship of these two men and how they worked together and separate from each other. From the announcement, some examples of possible topics are:
– Staging and performance history, especially recent critical developments. Is there any value in considering “Jonson in parts”, for example?
– Page and stage: in recent years, Shakespeare studies has debated the relative merits of approaching the plays as the work of a man of theatre and/or a ‘literary’ dramatist – how might Jonson appear in the light of such debates?
– Religion, Catholicism and Judaism (why, for example, is Shakespeare’s entirely speculative “Catholicism” wrangled over while Jonson’s conversions receive comparably little interest?)
– Nationality and ‘Britishness’;
– The politics of monarchy, republicanism, or the monarchical republic;
– Genders and sexualities
– Historicism and presentism: do Shakespearean debates here illuminate the Jonsonian corpus or concerns?
– Literary heritage, including neoclassical, Greek and/or medieval influences. The influence of post-medieval, vernacular drama upon Shakespeare is well-documented, while Jonson is often considered a consciously neoclassical dramatist. Is it time to revisit this distinction?
– Literary celebrity. Shakespeare’s reputation as national bard is firmly cemented, but the recently-discovered account of Ben Jonson’s walk to Scotland suggests a kind of “royal progress” between London and Edinburgh. Might this breathe new life into old debates? What might we learn about early modern ideas of literary fame, its social and political significance, or the history of the author as celebrity?
To find out more information about the conference including deadlines and other requirements, please click here.
Well that’s all for this week’s Scrivener. Be sure to like us on Facebook, follow us Twitter, Tumblr, Google + and Pinterest. We would love to hear from you. As always feel free to submit any type of Shakespeare related news to The Shakespeare Standard at editor@theshakespearestandard.com. See you all next week and have good week!
