Shakespeare Festival Conference examines violence and comedy for the stage

The Grand Valley Shakespeare Festival, Michigan’s oldest continuous-running Shakespeare Festival, in conjunction with the Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company, is hosting its bi-annual conference, “Shakespeare: Pedagogy and Performance” on Friday, September 26 and Saturday, September 27.

This year’s conference will focus on issues that affect the teaching, production or performance of Shakespeare and early modern drama for secondary and college students.

The featured conference keynote speaker and Festival Scholar-in-Residence is Tony Simotes, an accomplished director, actor, fight choreographer, and one of the founding members and current artistic director for Shakespeare & Company. In the past three decades, Simotes has either performed in or directed more than two-dozen productions of Shakespeare & Company.

“To come back to the Midwest and take a few days to meet students and theater colleagues who are dedicated to understanding our ancient craft in ways that will make this new century come alive on stage is worth all the effort,” said Simotes.

Shakespeare Festival Conference events are free and open to the public:

Keynote Address by Tony Simotes
September 26 at 4 p.m.
Kirkhof Center, Pere Marquette Room, Allendale Campus

Macbeth
September 27, 7:30 p.m.
Loosemoore Auditorium, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
Tickets: $7 general admission, $5 students and alumni
The Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company takes the stage to perform their 2013 Wilde Award nominated rendition of Macbeth. Founded in 1998, the Grand Haven-based group is Michigan’s only year-round, touring and professional Shakespeare company.

Registration is required for other portions of the conference. For more information and to register, visit www.gvsu.edu/shakesconference.