Shakespeare & Company to Launch Free Lecture Series BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Shakespeare & Company is launching a new, free lecture series: Behind the Curtain, launching Saturday, Feb. 18, and hosted by Shakespearean scholar Ann Berman.

Berman, who currently serves as Vice President of Shakespeare & Company's Volunteer Company, holds a Master of Arts in Shakespeare Studies from King's College, London through a program partnered with Shakespeare's Globe. She will lead the series, often with directors, cast members, design-team members, or others joining as guest speakers, examining various themes surrounding Shakespeare's works as well as other titles to be presented during the 2023 Season.

The inaugural Behind the Curtain lecture will be held Saturday, Feb. 18, at 10:30 a.m. at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre's Jane Iredale Lobby, focusing on Romeo and Juliet, with an emphasis on how costume design can influence audience response. Shakespeare & Company Costume Director Govane Lohbauer will be the talk's featured guest.

The series continues on Saturday, March 4 with a discussion of A Midsummer Night's Dream, to be staged at Shakespeare & Company from August 1 through September 10; Saturday, March 18, exploring the topic of Shakespeare and Jealousy, and Saturday, April 1, tracing the historical source material that informed The Contention: Henry VI, Part II.

All Behind the Curtain talks are free, but reservations are required. For more information or to reserve a ticket, visit shakespeare.org.

About Shakespeare & Company

Shakespeare & Company was founded in 1978 by Tina Packer. Located in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, the Company offers performance, education, and actor-training opportunities year-round, and attracts more than 40,000 patrons annually with a core of more than 150 artists.

About Ann Berman

Ann Berman holds a Master of Arts in Shakespeare Studies from King's College, London, through a program that partnered with Shakespeare's Globe. She also holds a Master's of Education in Special Education from Boston University and a bachelor's degree in English from SUNY Binghamton. Prior to relocating to Berkshire County, she served as a longtime volunteer with the Actors' Shakespeare Project in Boston, and taught Shakespeare's plays at the Life-long Learning at Regis College program (LLARC), in tandem with what play ASP was performing at the time. Now a resident of Lee, Mass., Berman is also an active member of The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College (OLLI).