Much Ado About...

Michael, Kaleigh & Oliver!

What was your first experience with Shakespeare?

Michael: My first experience with Shakespeare was watching my brother get stabbed on a playground when they performed a junior version of Julius Caesar. I'm not even sure he was playing Caesar, I think all the kids were just stabbing each other, but it looked like fun! And 20 years later, I enjoy Shakespeare more than I ever thought I would. I still haven't seen a production of Julius Caesar since then (surprisingly), but I've seen upwards of 30 other Shakespeare productions, including two at the Globe Theatre in London! Watching Shakespeare at the Globe, standing in history, that was unforgettable.

Kaleigh: My first experience with Shakespeare (that I can remember) was watching Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet when I was a pre-teen. There was something mesmerizing about it, it totally shattered what I thought Shakespeare ‘had to be’! Baz brought spectacle to Shakespeare! Since then I have always enjoyed reading & watching Shakespeare plays (some more than others) and in my more recent years, getting the privilege to perform the Bard’s text.

Oliver: My first experience with Shakespeare was in ninth grade English class, with Romeo and Juliet. I remember struggling with the words and thinking they were nothing special. Oh, how things have changed! I saw Hamlet at Shakespeare by the Bow with a group of friends and we have returned every year since. Working on Shakespeare in university has opened my eyes to the elegance and intricacies of the text, and to the possibilities the text holds. I love the words and I continue to fall further in love with reading and performing them.