Bring Shakespeare off the page and onto the stage by exploring how his plays are performed, reimagined, and made meaningful for contemporary audiences.
All the World’s a Stage invites students into the living world of Shakespeare through an interdisciplinary, performance-centered approach. Across two semesters, students study Shakespeare’s language, historical context, and theatrical practices while actively engaging in performance through scenes, monologues, movement, and voice work. The program emphasizes how Shakespeare’s plays function both in their early modern setting and in today’s cultural moment, examining how contemporary directors, designers, and actors reinterpret these works for diverse audiences. By combining close reading, embodied practice, and behind-the-scenes insight into modern productions, including a year-long experiential learning opportunity with STL Shakespeare, students gain a deeper understanding of how performance choices shape meaning and why Shakespeare’s plays continue to be among the world’s most widely read and performed over 400 years after his death. Students with no prior acting experience or knowledge of Shakespeare are encouraged to apply.
Students who complete both semesters of this Ampersand course will have fulfilled the Drama program’s 2000-level Acting requirement for the major or minor. They will also be eligible to participate in the Performing Arts Department’s “Schvey-Spottiswoode Shakespeare’s Globe Program,” a 3-week, 3-credit study abroad course in London and Stratford-upon-Avon.
