“ Shakespeare ’ s presence can be seen in our movies and memes , in advertising , music , and perhaps , most noticeably , in our language .”
Images this page and previous courtesy UW Digital Collections and Special Collections
Ron Parker , Theatre Director at Appleton North High School , has helped guide the K – 12 educational opportunities related to Shakespeare in Wisconsin . For three decades he has brought the wonder of Shakespeare to teenagers , and he was quick to offer his support to Shakespeare in Wisconsin .
“ Shakespeare ’ s presence can be seen in our movies and memes , in advertising , music , and , perhaps most noticeably , in our language . Each of us speaks a bit of the Bard every day . For thirty years the high school students I have directed in the Summer Shakespeare Theatre program have started their journey by hearing this fact . The reason Shakespeare is as relevant now as he was 400 years ago , if not more so , is because he focused on what it means to be human ,” Parker said . “ We live in a world that Shakespeare could never have begun to imagine , even in his wildest fantasies . But while technology has changed , humankind has not . We still love and hate , dream and fear . Shakespeare wrote stories about all of us .”
On the UW – Madison campus , Joshua Calhoun , an Assistant Professor of English , leads the effort to explore a different view of Shakespeare , with classes like Shakespeare in Media , various MOOCs ( Massive Open Online Courses ), and reoccurring “ Holding History : Shakespeare Reimagined ” sessions , in partnership with the Department of Special Collections .
“ When audiences come in with curiosity , you can build out from there . People may come for information about Shakespeare or the First Folio , and then you tell them about
“ Shakespeare ’ s presence can be seen in our movies and memes , in advertising , music , and perhaps , most noticeably , in our language .”
~ Ron Parker , Appleton North High School teacher
Maya Angelou ’ s reading of Sonnet 29 or about Shakespeare ’ s Spanish contemporary Lope de Vega , who has some 500 surviving plays . By welcoming interest in one writer , you can inspire a much broader , ongoing engagement with literature and humanities .”
Calhoun explained that he has experienced the reach of Shakespeare not only in his classroom activities , but also in unexpected interactions that drive home the impact of the Bard .
“ Sometimes the use of Shakespeare is misguided or bandied about for cultural status ,” Calhoun said . “ But sometimes he pops up in unexpected , meaningful interactions . I ’ m thinking about a recent conversation with a self-described homeless street poet . He asked why I teach Shakespeare ; I started to answer that Shakespeare ’ s plays keep us guessing which character he sides with — he doesn ’ t show his hand . ‘ Sure he does ,’ Larry shot back . ‘ Shakespeare is on the side of the underdog .’ It hit me like an epiphany because he ’ s absolutely right . Shakespeare has an affinity for telling the underdog ’ s story . The underdog doesn ’ t always win , but Shakespeare lets you see their eyes and hear their voices and hope they ’ ll pull through . And sometimes , that makes us confront our own roles in the scenes we share with others .”
As Shakespeare in Wisconsin 2016 draws to a close , the partners look forward to November 3 , when the Chazen Museum of Art hosts the opening celebration of the First Folio ! The Book That Gave Us Shakespeare ! exhibition . Calhoun will provide a lecture , followed by a reception hosted by the Chazen .
“ To think this journey has been two years in the making is amazing ,” said Barribeau . “ The work between our main partners , the countless educators , performers , and scholars around the state and the nation has been truly inspiring . We may be closing out 2016 , but Shakespeare in Wisconsin is just getting started .”
8 | LIBRARIES Fall 2016