James Shapiro News

It's written in blank verse, contains soliloquies and even has a ghost, but is Mike Bartlett's future history play really Shakespearean?

This year,legendary playwright, singer, editor and translator and Theatre Hall of Fame inductee Eric Bentley turned 99 years old. In celebration of this milestone and a century of his contributions to the international theatre world, a special one night-only birthday celebration has been announced: 'Happy Birthday, Eric Bentley! A Centennial Tribute Concert' will take place on December 7, 2015 at 8:00 PM.

Professor James Shapiro of Columbia University chimes in with a New York Times op ed piece opposing the idea.

This month, legendary playwright, singer, editor and translator and Theatre Hall of Fame inductee Eric Bentley turned 99 years old. In celebration of this milestone and a century of his contributions to the international theatre world, a special one night-only birthday celebration has been announced: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ERIC BENTLEY! A CENTENNIAL TRIBUTE CONCERT will take place on December 7, 2015 at 8:00 PM.

Acclaimed classical actor John Douglas Thompson will receive the Samuel H. Scripps Award for Extraordinary Commitment to Promoting the Power of Language In Classical and Contemporary Theatre at Theatre for a New Audience's Spring Gala Celebrating Shakespeare's Birthday. The celebration, Monday, May 11, is at Capitale, 130 Bowery on the Lower East Side.

Theatre for a New Audience, Jeffrey Horowitz, Founding Artistic Director, will present four panel discussions entitled 'Celebrating Christopher Marlowe' in conjunction with its epic production now on stage of Marlowe's 1587 Tamburlaine, Parts I and II, edited and directed by Olivier Award-winner Michael Boyd and starring John Douglas Thompson heading a cast of 19 performing 60 roles.

Theatre for a New Audience, Jeffrey Horowitz, Founding Artistic Director, will present four panel discussions entitled 'Celebrating Christopher Marlowe' in conjunction with its epic production now on stage of Marlowe's 1587 Tamburlaine, Parts I and II, edited and directed by Olivier Award-winner Michael Boyd and starring John Douglas Thompson heading a cast of 19 performing 60 roles.

The Public Theater presents the free one-night event, PUBLIC FORUM: SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICA, tonight, June 30 at 8:00 p.m. at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Whitney Bashor, Annette Bening, Jessica Chastain, author E.L. Doctorow, Jackie Hoffman, Justin Levine, Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson, and Micah Stock join this exciting evening, which will celebrate Shakespeare and the newly released Library of America book, Shakespeare in America, edited by Public Theater Shakespeare Scholar in Residence James Shapiro.

Jessica Chastain, Annette Bening, F. Murray Abraham, and E.L. Doctorow join tomorrow night's PUBLIC FORUM: SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICA! Join us as we celebrate Shakespeare and the newly released Library of America book, Shakespeare in America, edited by Public Theater Shakespeare Scholar in Residence James Shapiro.

The Public Theater announced additional casting today for the free one-night event, PUBLIC FORUM: SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICA, on Monday, June 30 at 8:00 p.m. at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Whitney Bashor, Annette Bening, Jessica Chastain, author E.L. Doctorow, Jackie Hoffman, Justin Levine, Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson, and Micah Stock join this exciting evening which will celebrate Shakespeare and the newly released Library of America book, Shakespeare in America, edited by Public Theater Shakespeare Scholar in Residence James Shapiro.

This week, THEATER TALK welcomes authors with two unique takes on American culture - James Shapiro, Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, whose new book is Shakespeare in America, an anthology of writing about the Bard's impact on U.S. history; and Carolyn Quinn, author of Mama Rose's Turn: The True Story of America's Most Notorious Stage Mother, whose book illuminates the life of the character central to one of America's greatest musicals, Gypsy.

The Public Theater announced additional casting today for the free one-night event, PUBLIC FORUM: SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICA, on Monday, June 30 at 8:00 p.m. at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced today that a special free one-night event, PUBLIC FORUM: SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICA, will take place on Monday, June 30 at 8:00 p.m. at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, with a line-up that includes Sarah Amengual, Michael Cerveris, Colman Domingo, James Earl Jones, Cynthia Nixon, Annie-B Parson, Steven Pasquale, and Michael Stuhlbarg, celebrating the world's greatest writer, American-style. Highlights of the evening will include James Earl Jones reading a scene from Othello, marking his return to the Delacorte after a 40-year absence and celebrating the 50th anniversary of his playing Othello on the Delacorte stage; Michael Cerveris reading a letter by John Wilkes Booth; and Steven Pasquale singing Tony in the "Tonight" duet from West Side Story.

The highly celebrated New York troupe Fiasco Theater will make their Washington, DC debut with their production of William Shakespeare's clever comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona at Folger Theatre. Directed by company members Jessie Austrian and Ben Steinfeld, The Two Gentlemen of Verona will play at the Folger from today, April 17 - May 25, 2014.

The highly celebrated New York troupe Fiasco Theater will make their Washington, DC debut with their production of William Shakespeare's clever comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona at Folger Theatre. Directed by company members Jessie Austrian and Ben Steinfeld, The Two Gentlemen of Verona will play at the Folger from April 17 - May 25, 2014.

NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts will sponsor a panel discussion on 'Shakespeare Around the World' tomorrow Tuesday, March 4 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street).

NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts will sponsor a panel discussion on 'Shakespeare Around the World' on Tuesday, March 4 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street). The event begins with an open exhibit of 'Ink Art' at 3PM, followed by the 4PM panel discussion and a 5PM reception. The panel is free with museum admission. Please RSVP to audience.development@metmuseum.org or 2126502525.

Columbia University and Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith are pleased to announce that Dominique Morisseau's Detroit '67 is the 2014 winner of the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History.

Joseph V. Melillo, executive producer of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), today announced programming for the 2014 BAM Winter/Spring Season, which runs fromJanuary 7 through June 29 and features nine theater, opera, film, and dance productions.

The Old Globe Artistic Director and noted Shakespearean Barry Edelstein will present Barry Edelstein In Conversation with James Shapiro, the internationally renowned Shakespeare scholar, tonight, Aug. 28 at 6:00 p.m.