Shakespeare for All

Actors’ Theatre of South Carolina has a new long-term program, “Shakespeare For All,” that will present productions based on adaptations of William Shakespeare’s plays intended to make the plays more accessible to a general audience. A full production of the adaptation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was performed in July 2018 in Charleston, and elements of the program are now being traveled around the state. in September 2018, there will be events in Charleston and St. Matthews. SC Humanities supported “Shakespeare for All” with a Major Grant.

The program includes participation from scholars Dr. Amy McCandless, Clarence Felder and Alexia Helsley, commenting on the value of the poetry, philosophy and humor of the new adaptation text and of Shakespeare’s works in general.

Dr. Amy McCandless taught undergraduate and graduate courses in British History and special topics classes on Elizabethan England and developed College of Charleston’s British Studies Minor. As an actor, Mr. Felder has performed thirty-six characters in twenty-six of Shakespeare’s plays in fifty-five productions in the US and Canada and has been studying the works for thirty years. He has directed Shakespeare and the classics throughout his career, as well as being a playwright and poet. Alexia Helsley is a professional author and historian, who has taught courses in Classical Mythology, Birth of Europe and Ancient History.

“Shakespeare For All”: Accessible Texts by Clarence Felder, is the first phase of a ten-year project of Actors’ Theatre of South Carolina. ATSC will also hold seminars in four counties on the topic of Mr. Felder’s adaptation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. The company will hold free public events in Orangeburg, Calhoun, Charleston and Dorchester counties.  Scheduled events include:

Monday, September 17th
Screening and Discussion in Charleston
4:30 – 6:00 p.m. – Screening of the full theatre production
6:00 to 7:00 pm – Panel discussion with Mr. Felder and scholars Dr. Amy McCandless, Damon Fordham, and Alexia Helsley
Location: Charleston County Library at 68 Calhoun Street, Charleston 29401

Thursday, September 20th
Screening and Discussion in St. Matthews
4:30 – 6:00 p.m. – Screening of the full theatre production
6:00 to 7:00 pm – Panel discussion with Mr. Felder and scholars Dr. Amy McCandless, Damon Fordham, and Alexia Helsley
Location: Calhoun County Library, 900 State Rd S-9-46, St Matthews, SC 29135

For more information, please visit www.actorstheatreofsc.org.

The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c) 3 organization is governed by a volunteer 20-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and/or supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually.

Image: costume design rendering of Bottom’s donkey head by Francy Walsh