Converse to Host Shakespeare Festival, March 12-13
During its first Shakespeare Festival, Converse College will present a comedy with an attitude. The Shenandoah Shakespeare Express, a nationally known Shakespearean troupe, will perform Taming of the Shrew on March 12th and 13th.
Funded in part by The Humanities Council of South Carolina, the two-day festival, which will also include a workshop for teachers, is designed to give the Converse community, local high schools and colleges, and the general public an opportunity to expand their understanding of and appreciation for the works of the Bard.
Schedule of Events
March 12
4 p.m.: Workshop by Shenandoah Shakespeare Express in Cleveland Alumnae House for local high school teachers and college professors to discuss Shakespeare, active learning, and the humanities.
Admission is free but pre-registration required. To pre-register, contact Dr. Laura F. Brown at (864) 596-9115.
7:30 p.m.: performance of Taming of the Shrew in Twichell Auditorium
$8 for adults; $5 for students with ID.
March 13
10 a.m. performance of Taming of the Shrew in Twichell Auditorium (This show is a half-hour shorter than the evening show and is geared toward high school students)
$8 adults; $5 for students with ID.
A free ticket will be given to teachers who purchase 10 or more student tickets prior to a performance.
First published in 1623, Taming of the Shrew raises important issues about the evolution of marriage and women’s roles and function in Shakespeare’s time. More accurately it is a play introduced by a very short story or jest. The drunkard Christopher Sly is tricked into believing that he is really a wealthy English Lord that has been out of his mind for 15 years. It is a trick the drunkard accepts since being a Lord means good food, drink, servants, a wife, and the pleasure of watching the visiting players present a comedy.
In their eleven-year history, the Shenandoah Shakespeare Express has taken Shakespeare to audiences in over forty states and five foreign countries. Each year, their tours travel 50,000 miles to performing arts centers, colleges, and high schools across the country.
For more information, contact Rick Mulkey at (864) 596-9099 or Dr. Laura F. Brown at (864) 596-9115.