Past Courses

Shakespeare and the Collective Voices

Dr. Marie Roche. PhD

Plays under discussion:

Coriolanus
Julius Caesar
Timon of Athens

Course Description:

This seminar explores Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, and Timon of Athens through the lens of collective and individual expression. Together, we will examine the dynamic tension between speaking for, with, or against the collective—whether that collective is the Roman populace, the Senate, the military, or a circle of confidants. What happens when the voice of one confronts the voice of many? How does Shakespeare dramatize the interplay between public discourse and private will?

Our central inquiry examines the friction between the popular voice and the voice of power—between consensus and command, allegiance and betrayal, protest and persuasion. Coriolanus, the core text of our semester, offers a particularly charged case study in personal ambition clashing with collective will. Through close reading and active exploration, we will unpack its thematic density and consider how it resonates with contemporary questions of political voice, citizenship, and representation.

Alongside Coriolanus, we will study Julius Caesar, which dramatizes the volatile power of oratory and crowd manipulation, and Timon of Athens, a haunting portrayal of betrayal, disillusionment, and the corrosive dynamics of gift economies and false friendship. These plays deepen our understanding of how speech functions in moments of civic rupture, how collective action forms and fractures, and how the individual both shapes and is shaped by the crowd.

Designed for theater-makers, students, educators, and curious participants from all walks of life, this 12-week journey offers a collaborative space to explore Shakespeare’s political imagination—and our own.

Shakespeare and the Collective Voices: Workshop Overview 

Co-taught with Sarah Corbyn Woolf and Marie Roche, PhD

This workshop, Shakespeare and the Collective Voices, explores the dynamic relationship between the personal voice and the collective voice, as well as the tension between the Popular Voice and the Voice of Power. Our central question is: what distinguishes speaking for, with, or against the Collective? Rooted in both theory and practice, the workshop examines how individual expression collaborates, communicates, and conflicts with group dynamics in the pursuit of power and change. 

Coriolanus is an ideal example of personal ambition clashing with collective will, so it will be our core text. We will analyze the play itself and methods for performing it, including ensemble-building techniques (Jacques LeCoq), “freeing the natural voice,” (Linklater), and shared physicality (Bartenieff Fundamentals). Designed for both theater practitioners and curious participants from any background, this workshop is not only an exploration of Coriolanus and the collective voice but also an active exercise in group dynamics, collaborative conflict, and self-expression within community contexts.

Shakespeare in Translation: Coriolan en Français

Dr. Marie Roche

Prerequisite: Conversational college-level French is required. The class will be conducted entirely in French. A bilingual edition of Coriolanus, translated by Jean-Michel Déprats, will be provided to all participants.

Course Description:

This course invites students to engage deeply with Shakespeare’s Coriolanus through the lens of translation, exploring how language shapes meaning, emotion, and cultural resonance. By reading selected passages in both English and French, we will investigate how translation serves not just as a linguistic exercise but as an interpretive act that bridges—and sometimes widens—cultural and historical gaps.

Key questions will guide our discussions: How do we experience Shakespeare’s text when it’s no longer in its original language? What is gained or lost in translation—whether in terms of rhythm, wordplay, humor, or cultural nuance? How do translators navigate the challenge of rendering Elizabethan English into contemporary French while preserving Shakespeare’s poetic and rhetorical richness?

Students will participate in close readings, comparative analyses, and group discussions to unpack the choices made by translators like Jean-Michel Déprats. We will explore how translation affects tone, character, and meaning and consider the broader role of translation in disseminating Shakespeare’s works across time and cultures. This course is designed for students interested in literature, language, translation studies, and performance, offering a unique opportunity to experience Shakespeare’s enduring influence through the dynamic interplay of languages.

Social Justice and Reparativity in Prison Shakespeare Narratives

Douglas M. Lanier, University of New Hampshire

This talk explores potential tensions and congruences between social justice Shakespeare and reparative Shakespeare in narratives about Shakespeare prison programs. These programs have become a recognized means by which incarcerated individuals pursue personal reform, self-empowerment, and socialization. Yet, this form of 21st-century popular Shakespeare remains under-theorized and under-appreciated as both a distinctive subgenre and a vehicle for Shakespeare’s enduring cultural relevance.

Using three films as touchstones—Shakespeare Behind Bars (2005), Cesare Deve Morire (Caesar Must Die, 2012), and Sing Sing (2023)—Professor Lanier will examine how these narratives represent Shakespeare’s efficacy (or lack thereof) for incarcerated individuals. He will also explore what cultural and psychological work these stories accomplish, and how they do so.

Additional works to be discussed include:

• Margaret Atwood’s Hag-Seed
• Monica Wood’s How to Read a Book
• Phyllida Lloyd’s all-female Shakespeare trilogy for the Donmar Warehouse

Shakespeare Aloud

Embodying Shakespeare’s Sonnets through Speaking

Co-taught with Sarah Corbyn Woolf and Marie Roche, PhD

In this three-part workshop, participants will explore the dynamic relationship between speaker and listener, bridging the gap between theoretical analysis and the embodied practice of spoken performance. Through guided discussion and vocal exercises, we will investigate how Shakespeare’s language comes alive through voice, breath, and physical presence. 

Each participant will select and work closely with a sonnet, delving into its rhythm, structure, and meaning while discovering their connection to the text. In a collaborative and supportive environment, we will examine how the interplay between poetic form and embodied communication enhances interpretation and delivery. By the end of the workshop, participants will have developed a deeper understanding of Shakespeare’s sonnets—not just as literary works but as living expressions meant to be spoken, heard, and felt.

Sarah Corbyn Woolf (she/her) is a theater-maker and teacher who has worked with companies across the Northeast and Washington, D.C., including Shakespeare Theatre Company, Shakespeare & Company, and New York Classical Theater. She has directed and performed at Advice To The Players in New Hampshire, where she serves as Interim Treasurer and HR Designee on the Board of Trustees. Holding an MFA from the Academy for Classical Acting at Shakespeare Theatre Company/GWU, she researches expressive movement and somatic practices in Shakespeare training. She is also launching her third company. Learn more at SarahCorbynWoolf.com.

SHAKESPEARE ON FILM: CORIOLANUS ON SCREEN

Power, Politics, and Performance in Film

Dr. Marie Roche

This course examines the cinematic adaptations of Coriolanus, Shakespeare’s most politically charged tragedy, exploring how film directors interpret its themes of power, warfare, populism, and identity for contemporary audiences. From classic adaptations to modern reimaginings, we will analyze how the play’s tensions—between the elite and the masses, rhetoric and action, loyalty and betrayal—are visually and thematically represented on screen.

Through screenings of key film adaptations, we will consider how different cinematic styles, performances, and historical contexts shape our understanding of Coriolanus as both a tragic hero and a deeply flawed leader. How do directors handle the play’s ambiguous political stance? What does the filmic medium reveal about the psychological depth of its characters? How do actors bring Coriolanus and his adversaries to life through gesture, tone, and cinematic framing?

Plays under discussion:

Cymbeline
12th Night
Two Gentlemen of Verona

This course examines gender, performance, and power in the portrayal of women on the Renaissance stage, focusing on three female characters in Shakespeare’s plays: Cymbeline’s Imogen, Twelfth Night’s Viola, and The Two Gentleman  of Verona’s Julia. In a time when men played all the female roles, cross-dressing was more than a theatrical convention—it shaped and reflected cultural views on gender. We will explore what it meant for male actors to voice female characters and how these performances related to the actual status of women in Elizabethan England, particularly under a female monarch.

Did women truly experience a Renaissance? Beyond the stage, we will consider women’s roles in the Renaissance, the Protestant and Catholic Reformations, and the Scientific Revolution. Through historical texts and scholarship, we will assess their contributions and the extent to which their voices were heard or suppressed. 

This course will challenge attendees to rethink traditional ideas of gender performance through close readings, historical analysis, and critical theory. By connecting Shakespeare’s theatrical practices to contemporary discussions of gender and identity, we will examine how his plays continue to influence our understanding of power and representation.

Special Guest Speaker: Alexa Joubin

Clothes do not make the man: Rethinking Shakespearean gender-crossing.

Is Twelfth Night a playful comedy of disguise, or does it explore deeper questions of gender identity and trauma? Are Cesario and Viola simply cross-dressed, or do they challenge the gender binary altogether? This interactive presentation with Alexa Alice Joubin delves into speech acts, performativity, and queer dramaturgy, examining how performances of Twelfth Night can be interpreted through a trans lens to think about body dysphoria, harassment, and homelessness.

Join Professor Alexa Alice Joubin, Director of the Digital Humanities Institute at George Washington University, inaugural bell hooks Legacy Award recipient, and co-founder of MIT Global Shakespeare’s digital performance archive, as she explores how Twelfth Night redefines identity and challenges heteronormative storytelling.

Shakespeare and the Popular Voice

Tyrannic Voices in Shakespeare

Plays under discussion:
Winter’s Tale
Macbeth
Titus Andronicus

The upcoming seminars, open to the public and higher education, will delve into the intriguing theme of tyranny in Shakespeare’s plays. We will focus on three plays and characters in particular: King Leontes- The Winter’s Tale, Macbeth- Macbeth, and Emperor Saturninus- Titus Andronicus. I’m sure these discussions will be both enlightening and engaging.

While Shakespeare’s peers thought the theater to be a place of indoctrination to the masses at the service of the crown, Shakespeare’s plays uniquely expose the ambiguities and the weaknesses of the power structure that subjugated the popular voices- beginning with the Monarchy and the king in particular; ruler of the realm. What is important to understand is the nature of the tyrant and the power structure in which he operates, which allows his voice to prevail over those of his retinue and commoners. By pointing at the form subjugation takes, the plays bring forth a new awareness of what suppresses or limits our self-expression while offering possible alternate governance and outcomes.

Shakespeare asked probing questions about his Kings: Who is the tyrant? What is behind the mask of a tyrant? What is the web of influences that enables him to achieve power? Is there a way out of such ensnarement? Is the ruler himself a victim, too human? Shakespeare laid bare the fragility of humankind’s perceived control over its environment. In this knowing, there is enfranchisement.

On this journey of discernment about what and who rules us, in these discussions, we will define tyrant and tyranny and other general terms useful for the discussion. We will situate Shakespeare in conversation with contemporary thinkers such as Michel de Montaigne, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Etienne de la Boétie, for instance, and look at how Shakespeare deferred from them, thereby understanding his originality of perspective that he illustrates in The Winter’s Tale, Titus Andronicus and Macbeth.

Shakespeare Aloud

Sarah Corbyn Woolf and Dr. Marie Roche

Reading Shakespeare aloud is a very different experience from reading his
plays silently in the mind. Shakespeare’s plays were made to be spoken, and this course aims for
attendees to experience the plays aurally in new and exciting ways.

Over the course of three 90-minute sessions, this workshop explores the relationship between
speaker and listener by moving discussions of Shakespeare’s text into the embodied practice of
speaking his words out loud, facilitating audience awareness. Materials will be thematically linked
rather than focused on a single play.

Shakespeare in Translation

Dr. Marie Roche

Conversational college-level French is required. The class will be conducted entirely in French. All attendees will receive a bilingual text of LA TEMPÊTE, translated by Jean-Michel Déprats. 

Cosmopolitanism and Insularity in Shakespeare’s Plays

1Henry VI
The Merchant of Venice
The Tempest

Shakespeare’s plays occur in England and sometimes in imaginary spaces. But he also takes us to countless foreign locations: Austria, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Spain, Turkey, and Yugoslavia. How do the plays explore this paradox of England’s cosmopolitanism and insularity? As an island, England did not occupy a noticeable physical position on the world maps of the period, yet its political power became undeniable under Queen Elizabeth. To explore
England’s cosmopolitanism and insularity, we will concentrate on the women in 1Henry VI, The Merchant of Venice, and The Tempest because they illustrate England’s foreign and domestic policies and tensions. Starting with 1Henry VI, we will focus on two remarkable historical figures, Joan of Arc and Margaret of Anjou; then in The Merchant of Venice, on Jessica,
Shylock’s daughter, and Portia, the wealthy heiress of Belmont; finally, in The Tempest, on Sycorax, Caliban’s mother, and Prospero’s daughter, Miranda. As we examine England’s tendency towards insularity and the cultural, economic, religious, and linguistic influences that shaped its cosmopolitanism, these women will play a crucial role in our understanding of
England’s politics and its resulting shifts in diplomacy during the Renaissance.

Shakespeare and the Occult Sciences in the Renaissance

Course Description:

What were the sciences of the occult in Shakespeare’s time? What was the purpose of such sciences? How do they fit in with the new scientific discoveries of the time? This semester, we will explore astrology, witchcraft, white magic, alchemy, and Hermetic theology, among others, in three of Shakespeare’s plays: Love’s Labour’s Lost, Macbeth, and The Merchant of Venice.

Not unlike sleuths, we will seek clues that will situate these plays at the heart of the hidden discourses of the occult. Look for references to stars, numbers, letters, geometrical figures, and witches, among many other allusions. What unforeseen narratives will we discover? In the end, how does knowing the influence of the occult on Shakespeare affect our reading of the plays?

SHAKESPEARE’S COMEDIES ON FILM

Course Description: 

This course provides visual literacy and offers a range of Shakespearean productions to discuss. This summer, we will explore the difficulties of bringing comedies from stage to film. We will watch The Globe production of Twelfth Night and compare/ contrast it with film productions of this play over the past hundred years. What is gained and lost in this “translation” process from one medium to another? How is humor translated?

“Twelfth Night” (1910) dir. Charles Kent-Silent film.

“Twelfth Night” (1933) dir. Orson Welles

“Twelfth Night” (1988) dir. Kenneth Branagh

“Twelfth Night” (1996) dir. Trevor Nunn

“She’s the Man” (2006) dir. Andy Fickman

“Twelfth Night” (2018) dir. Adam Smethurst

SHAKESPEARE IN TRANSLATION

Conversational college-level French required

The class will be conducted entirely in French. The bilingual text, translated by Jean-Michel Déprats, will be provided to the attendees.

Course Description:

This class seeks to expose the attendees to Shakespeare’s texts in translation. Passages will be read together, and questions will be addressed, such as: What is gained or lost in translation? How do we experience the text in another language? The translator’s choice of words and translation of humor and more.

La nuit des rois, ou Ce que vous voudrez

The Voices of Shakespeare’s Fools

“I am indeed not her fool, but her corrupter of words.” (Fest,12Nights, 3.1)

Feste- Twelve Night

Touchstone- As You Like It

Parolles-All’s Well That Ends Well

Course Description:

This semester, we will look at the significant history of this character in drama and explore the fools in three Shakespearean plays: Feste- Twelve Night; Touchstone- As You Like It and Parolles-All’s Well that Ends Well. We will remain open-minded about the potent function the fools take in these plays. We will ask pertinent questions such as: Who is the fool? What is his function? Why would Shakespeare use the fool as a transgressor of convention? What is the fool’s message? Why are we resistant to hearing the fool’s wisdom?  Who is his audience? What is in his name, i.e., Feste, Touchstone, and Parolles? Could a fool be an allegorical figure standing for something significant?

Course description: These plays, Hamlet, King Lear, and The Tempest, finish the year with a punch! So much ink has been spilled on them that one may wonder what is left to be talked about. Everyone is an expert on them. Here we are, however, once again but with a twist. These plays feature three kings of Shakespeare’s imagination who decide to go against divine order: Lear wants to retire from his kingly responsibilities (who can blame him), Prospero wants to pursue knowledge at the expense of his kingdom, and Claudius wants the kingdom of Denmark all for himself at the expense of his brother and family. In this course, we will bring home questions on the ramification of human intention and action: What happens when free will i.e., the desire to live the life as we see fit, comes against divine order, if we believe that there is one? Have we experienced moments in our lives when our decisions have been seen as selfish or destructive to others? What are the consequences of our actions? Do we think about them before we act? Is choosing to retire, to pursue knowledge or power of all sorts such a bad thing? How are the decisions of characters – even those that may play a smaller role – affecting others in the story, and affecting us as readers?

In addition, for those who took the history plays cycle last year, this course will be an opportunity to look at instances in which kingship appears outside of the actual historical sequence studied. It will be an opportunity to compare and contrast the kings of history and the kings of the imaginary – or is that line of distinction difficult to draw?

Workshop Hamlet & King Lear  with Hilary Dennis

Conversational college-level French required. The class will be conducted entirely in French. The bilingual text, translated by Jean-Michel Deìprats, will be provided to the attendees.
This class seeks to expose the attendees to Shakespeare’s texts in translation. Passages will be read together, and questions will be addressed such as: What is gained or lost in translation? How do we experience the text in another language? The translator’s choice of words and translation of humor and more. Le songe d’une nuit d’été

For the Spring of 2022 participants will be reading Shakespeare’s history plays in a historical chronology, rather than in the chronology of when the works were published or performed. 

Workshop: Richard III  with Emily MacLeod (George Washington University)
 

Power from the Margin
Struggles to establish legitimacy to the throne, the bastard, and women in politics

Workshops

Three special workshops with guest scholar, Marshall Garrett, Brave Spirits Theater, will be held on Zoom.
Richard II
Reading Shakespeare Aloud
Troilus and Cressida

Virtual Course Offerings

Hamlet

5 seminars discussing Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Participants should be familiar with the play and have read it recently. Come prepared for active discussion.

The Grooming of a Modern Political Leader & English National Identity

Shakespeare Aloud: Two Gentlemen of Verona

Shakespeare in Translation (French): Les deux gentilshommes de Vérone
Conversational, college-level French required. Class conducted entirely in French. Bilingual text translated by Jean-Michel Déprats. The text will be provided to the attendees.

Shakespeare on Film: A Study of Sir John Falstaff
The Hollow Crown and Chimes at Midnight with Orson Welles

What has love got to do with it: Wars & National Conflicts?

This fall’s conversation will not be for the faint of heart, but for the warriors of ideas who will unflinchingly tackle and conquer the profound questions these plays raise. We will endeavor to explore: Romeo and Juliet; Antony and Cleopatra and Troilus and Cressida. We will explore the purpose and representation of love in these plays as the entry point to study how the personal enters the larger stage of British history (Troy and its fall; the Tyrone Rebellion), and of epics and myth (Iliad and Aeneid), and conversely how the external conflicts of titans (Priam and Agamemnon) and nations (Ancient Greece and Roman Empires) enter the realm of the private, causing the lovers’ demise and perhaps, with them, the death of a kind of ideology. How do the lovers’ relationships reveal or exemplify clashes of existential beliefs, of politics, and even the colliding of traditions; epic, historic, and romance?

Three special workshops with guest scholar, Jessica Bauman, director of Arden Everywhere, will be held on zoom.

Romeo and Juliet
Antony and Cleopatra
Troilus and Cressida 

Journeys and Discoveries. Participants will be reading As You Like It, The Comedy of Errors, and Pericles. The class will investigate new ways of seeing and experiencing quests into uncharted territories. There are no prerequisites: participants need to bring a copy of the play and a willingness to read aloud. 

Special guest, Jessica Bauman, director of Arden Everywhere. 

Shakespeare Aloud. Would you enjoy taking on the Shakespearean role of your dreams?  Join us in Shakespeare Aloud. Each participant will take on a character and learn to read the parts. Readings for each character will rotate amongst the members. Short presentations will be offered on topics related to the play. 

Play: Much Ado About Nothing

Shakespeare in Translation. Are you curious about how Shakespeare sounds in another language? How his puns and wits carry over from English to French? What can we learn about the impact of Shakespeare’s texts in other countries? Enjoy the Bard in French and explore the beauty of his language in translation. 

Bilingual edition translated by Jean Michel Déprats. Bilingual conversation as needed. All levels of French welcome.

Play: Beaucoup de bruit pour rien 

Shakespeare on Film. Join us in watching productions of Othello as a whole and in parts. Discussion of the play will focus performance history in film and audience reception. Along the way, we will also explore specific micro-topics with short presentations. 

Play: Othello

Three productions of Othello with special features: 

Orson Welles’ Othello (1952)

Laurence Olivier’s Othello (1965)

Othello with Laurence Fishburne, Irene Jacob, and Kenneth Branagh. Director Oliver Parker (1995)

Marie Roche, Ph.D. UMass, is offering a seminar entitled Shakespeare Aloud: A New Experience. Participants will be reading Twelfth Night together. There are no requirements–just bring a copy of the play and be willing to read aloud. Optional extra readings, discussion, and laughter will be provided! The class meets Mondays, 5:00 – 6:30 pm, beginning July 1st and going until the play is done. ~5 weeks.

Marie Roche, Ph.D. UMass, will teach Shakespeare in Translation: Le Roi Lear/French King Lear. Bilingual texts will be provided before the first meeting. Some fluency in French is required to best enjoy the class.

Marie Roche, Ph.D. UMass, is offering a twelve-week seminar, entitled: The Body Deciphered, which will involve reading Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, and Antony and Cleopatra with a particular focus on the body. What is fascinating, says Jennifer Edwards, “about the presentations of these texts are the ways in which they interact with the body, and vice versa; with bodies presented as texts in need of deciphering, and texts that in their very fabric and construction recall the body.” The class will not then dwell on the gruesome details present in these plays, but rather explore Shakespeare’s presentation of the body and its manifestations as text, history, politics, character, etc.

Marie Roche, Ph.D. UMass, is offering a twelve-weeks seminar entitled: Shakespeare’s Badass Mothers, which will look at three mothers in particular and the context of political power: Volumnia (Coriolanus), Gertrude (Hamlet), and Margaret of Anjou, the She-Wolf of France (Henry VI).