Monday, November 15, 2010

Performing New Lives Book Tour: San Francisco

Judith Tannenbaum (author of "By Heart" (with Spoon Jackson) and Ava Roy (director, "Hamlet on Alcatraz") attended tonight's reading.

The far-ranging discussion included a consideration of the value and impact of Shakespeare's works for men and women of color. One participant raised the concern that people of color would not see their own experiences recognized and validated in Shakespeare's plays. Others responded by pointing out the trans-cultural archetypal relevance of Shakespeare's themes and characters, and the relevance that all great drama has for actors: by bringing us out of ourselves into the imagined world of the other, theatre can help us to know ourselves more intimately.

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