New World Shakespeare: Contemporary Theatre from a Classical Master

Hamlet probably was acted at the Globe during 1600, but it was for Shakespeare a highly volatile text, and in 1601 he seems to have expanded its ironic commentary on the War of the Theaters that he had with his rival/friend Ben Jonson. And yet even this Poets' War is only a portion of the maelstrom that constitutes the sequence that goes from Act II, Scene ii, line 315, through Act III, Scene ii, line 288. For almost a thousand lines, a fourth of the play, Shakespeare cuts a gap into his representation of reality, or imitation of an action. The Globe's audiences, on afternoons in 1601, evidently were sophisticated enough to accept an art that capriciously abandons the illusions of stage representation and then picks them up again. This freedom to forsake our legitimate expectations is central to Hamlet (and to Hamlet). I will elaborate upon Shakespeare's elliptical art, which I do not find illuminated by the term "metatheater." Hegel memorably said that Shakespea...

  In 2012, a group of artists came together to create New World Shakespeare Company, a theater troupe dedicated to bringing the bard's work to life in fresh and innovative ways to make classic theater just as relevant and evocative in our modern world as it was in the days of William Shakespeare. The first NWSC production was Romeo & Juliet, featuring two women in the titular roles, which set the stage for a decade of diversity and acceptance of all people. In the 13 ensuing years, New World Shakespeare Company has become a refuge for actors who might not otherwise get their big moment on stage or voices that might not otherwise be heard. New World has fostered creativity, cultivated talent, and carved a path for people from all walks to rediscover anew that Shakespeare is for everyone.