Secondhand Shakespeare

In this course we will explore how the continual act of reimagining Shakespeare’s plays is one of the leading reasons his plays are relevant over 400 years later. The descendants of his plays include Where We Belong by Madeline Sayet, (The Tempest)/, /Teenage Dick by Mike Lew (Richard III)/, and /Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard (Hamlet)/. Students will explore the reasons an author or playwright chooses to adapt an existing story instead of create a new, standalone work by reading entire plays and scenes and understanding the techniques employed by playwrights to “make the familiar strange.” Coursework will include critical reading of scenes as well as two full plays by Shakespeare and two by contemporary playwrights; class discussions and presentations, and one longer formal paper.