(Re)casting Shakespeare in Canada: A Symposium

Sunday, April 30 - Monday, May 1, 2023

Joseph G. Green Theatre, York University

This two-day symposium seeks to challenge and engage professional theatre artists, scholars, educators, students, and the wider public in critical conversations about the history, legacy, and future of Shakespeare in Canada, with a specific emphasis on inclusive, intersectional casting practices modeled by IBPOC Canadian theatre artists.

Participants include: Patricia Allison, Reneltta Arluk, Keith Barker, Dawn Jani Birley, Walter Borden, Alex Bulmer, Lisa Karen Cox, Jessica B. Hill, Jeff Ho, Christine Horne, Ravi Jain, Naila Keleta-Mae, Keira Loughran, Peter Pasyk, Debbie Patterson, Joseph Jomo Pierre, PJ Prudat, Anand Rajaram, Sepehr Reybod, Kaitlyn Riordan, Jamie Robinson, Djanet Sears, Erin Shields, Kim Solga, and Jeff Yung

This event is free (registration required, register here) and open to artists, scholars, undergraduate and graduate students, members of the Deaf community, and the wider public. Livestream option also available. ASL interpretation will be provided throughout and a Quiet Room will be available. Please email accessingrecastingshakespeare@gmail.com for all accessibility inquires.

The event has been curated by Keira Loughran, Jamie Robinson, Marlis Schweitzer, Jeff Ho, Liam Lockhart-Rush, and Hope Van Der Merwe with accessibility support by Rachel Hannah Arnold. 

Click below for the full symposium schedule or access a PDF version here.

Schedule:

9:00 – 9:30: Welcome

9:30 – 11:00: Recasting the Canon in Canadian Theatres and Classrooms:

11:00 – 11:15: Break

11:15 – 12:45: Intersectional Approaches to Staging Shakespeare

12:45 – 2:00: Lunch

2:00 – 3:30: Roundtable: Recasting Shakespeare Through Adaptation

3:30 – 3:45: Break

3:45 – 5:00: Roundtable: Grappling with Shakespeare’s Colonial Legacy

5:00 – 5:30: Canadian Theatre Review 193: Casting and Race Launch

9:00 – 9:30: Welcome

9:30 – 11:00: Keynote Conversation

11:00 – 11:15: Break

11:15 – 12:00: Shaking Up Shakespeare, Part 1: Roundtable Conversation with Actors

12:00 – 12:45: Shaking Up Shakespeare, Part 2: Roundtable Conversation with Directors

12:45 – 2:00: Lunch

2:00 – 3:30: Shaking Up Shakespeare, Part 3 –  Actors and Directors Together

3:30 – 3:45: Break

3:45 – 4:30: Long Table: Future of Inclusive Casting Practices & Intersectional Shakespeare 

  • Panelists: All present

4:30: Concluding Thoughts

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