Photos by Dan Vander Beek
Celebrated actors led theater workshops during an extended residency at Central College March 21-23. Students explored acting, costuming, early special effects and more with the illustrious American Shakespeare Center cast. Central hosted the Dangerous Dreams tour, including performances of “Julius Caesar,” “Henry V” and “The Importance of Being Earnest,” through the Thomas J. and Charlene P. Gaard Endowed Residency in the Liberal Arts.
Central’s long-standing connection with the American Shakespeare Center (ASC) is thanks to Walter Cannon, professor of English. The company, formerly Shenandoah Shakespeare Express, has performed more than a dozen shows on campus since Cannon became the college’s Shakespeare expert. In Staunton, Va., the company’s Blackfriars Playhouse is open year-round, the world’s only reproduction of Shakespeare’s indoor theater.
Since 1988, the American Shakespeare Center has recreated Shakespeare’s staging on tour with universal lighting, minimal sets, doubling, cross-gender casting and music. The troupe’s performances of classic plays are hailed by The Washington Post as “shamelessly entertaining” and by The Boston Globe as “phenomenal…bursting with energy.”
Thomas J. and Charlene P. Gaard Endowed Residency in the Liberal Arts is a signature residency that allows Central College to host notable visitors on campus in multi-day residencies interacting with students and the wider campus and community. These integrated learning opportunities for faculty and students reflect the liberal arts emphasis of the college, enhance the overall education received by students and make it possible for participants to engage in meaningful and up-close exchanges with known experts over an extended period.
