October 21, 2004

Theatre symposium; Shakespeare in America

The department of theatre will bring together some of the most influential names in American theatre to discuss their experiences producing, directing and performing the works of William Shakespeare before contemporary audiences.

The “Shakespeare: The American Voice” symposium will be held Nov. 5-7 at the Ethel M. Barber Theatre, 30 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston campus. The event is open to the public.

The symposium will include lectures, panel discussions, master classes, workshops, film screenings and a live theatre production of the Shakespeare play “Much Ado About Nothing.”

All of the guest speakers are Northwestern alumni. Panelists will include actor Harry Lennix, a Goodman Theatre artistic associate who starred in Julie Taymor’s 1999 film “Titus,” an adaptation of Shakespeare’s play “Titus Andronicus”; Gerald Freedman, the first American director invited to direct at the Globe Theatre in London and the founder of the Great Lakes Theatre Festival; Barbara Gaines, the founder and artistic director of Chicago Shakespeare Theatre; and Tony Award-nominated director Mark Lamos, former artistic director of the Tony Award-winning Hartford Stage, a theatre in Connecticut.

Registration for the three-day Shakespeare symposium is $50 and includes a ticket to any of the eight performances of the upcoming Mainstage Theatre production of “Much Ado About Nothing,” at the Barber Theatre from Oct. 29 through Nov. 7.

To request a Shakespeare conference brochure, register, or more information, contact Nick Barnett at (847) 491-5146 or Nicholas@northwestern.edu.