Lectures

Declaring Independence: The Language That Challenged an Empire (combination reading and lecture): More than a historical milestone, the Declaration of Independence is a masterful use of language.  This talk examines the Declaration of Independence as a bold piece of writing designed to persuade, provoke, and endure. Blending rhetorical analysis with a full reading of the text, it brings the document to life as a spoken argument rather than a static artifact, and approaches the Declaration through the lens of voice, rhythm, and the enduring power of words.

From Liberty to Legacy: Exploring American Ideals in the Musicals 1776 and Hamilton: 1776 and Hamilton: two landmark American musicals that explore the founding of the United States. Through selected clips from each production, this lecture examines these revolutionary works in the context of the eras in which they were created, revealing how America’s understanding—and retelling—of its origin story has evolved over time.

Shakespeare Through Performance: A Look at the Clues Shakespeare Left Actors and Directors: How do actors know how to "act" Shakespeare?  This talk looks at the acting clues Shakespeare left in the text of all his plays.  See these plays from a new perspective during this fun and enlightening talk.

Our Town: Wilder’s Misunderstood Classic: Hear from the citizens of the fictional town of Grover's Corners, and from Wilder himself; and discover how this quiet classic is so much more than a nostalgic look back at how we were.

The Crown and Compass: Leadership Lessons from Shakespeare’s Kings: Take a look at leadership through Shakespeare's eyes.  Through the use of dramatic monologues, hear from the kings themselves and discover the qualities of an effective leader from Shakespeare's perspective.

Hamlet: Inaction and the Tragedy of Thought: This lecture explores Shakespeare's most famous play as a drama defined not by action, but by delay, reflection, and psychological paralysis.  Using dramatic monologues from the play, this talk examines how thinking becomes Hamlet's fatal flaw.  The result is a thoroughly modern tragedy where the deepest conflicts unfold not on stage, but in the mind. 

Much Ado About Nothing and the Birth of the Rom-com: A mis-matched, but loveable couple; interesting characters and situations helping to bring a mis-matched lovers together; pride, misunderstandings, and playful shenanigans: all are hallmarks of the modern romantic comedy. Discover how this play from 400+ years ago gave rise to the modern rom-coms of today.

The Greeks: Comedy, Tragedy and the Birth of Western Theatre: Discover the evolution of early western theatre through some of the earliest-known theatrical writings.  Hear where we've come from, and be reminded that, over the course of thousands of years, humans haven't changed all that much.

Blood and Magic: A Journey Into Jacobean Theatre:Shakespeare's works span the reign of two monarchs: Queen Elizabeth  and King James.  As England transitioned from one to the other, the theatre saw a radical transformation stylistically as well as thematically.  Hear from Shakespeare and his contemporaries in this spine-tingling talk.

Shakespeare and the Sea—Chaos, Identity, and Transformation:  For Shakespeare, the sea was not merely a backdrop, but a powerful metaphor for identity.  Discover how the ocean shaped the imagination of William Shakespeare, and—through dramatic monologues—how the maritime themes of storms, shipwrecks, sea creatures, and oceanic transformation, run through his plays.

Toil and Trouble—The Supernatural in the Plays of Shakespeare: Ghosts, witches, storms, and things that go bump in the night—Shakespeare’s plays are filled with the supernatural. In this unique performance-based lecture, examine how Shakespeare used the uncanny to challenge his audiences and probe the deepest fears of the human mind. Journey from the enchanted forests of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the haunted battlements of Hamlet, the blasted heath of Macbeth, and the tempest-tossed world of King Lear in an evening that reveals how Shakespeare’s supernatural forces are never merely frightening—they are mirrors reflecting the mysteries of being human.

A Brief History of Acting--Ancient Greek to Modern Day: This lecture traces the evolution of western acting styles.  How did we go from the presentational styles of Ancient Greek Tragedies to the "Method" of modern acting?  Follow the winding trail and discover the cultural/historical influences that have brought us to what we now see on modern stages and movie screens.