What does Shakespeare have to say about contemporary American politics? Find out when the UTC Patten Series brings Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” to the UTC Fine Arts Center stage. But before the show, participate in a discussion of the show’s themes and how they reflect the current political climate.
Measure for Measure will be performed Oct. 25-27 at 7:30 p.m. at Fine Arts Center, Roland Hayes Concert Hall. Purchase tickets at https://www.utc.edu/fine-arts-center/tickets.php
Review for the show:
Hailing from such prestigious UK companies as Shakespeare’s Globe, the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, the five actors of Sir Patrick Stewart’s celebrated theater company Actors From The London Stage bring Shakespeare to life for three evenings at the UTC Fine Arts Center as one of this season’s Patten Performances.
The three nights of Measure For Measure are part of a week-long residency at UTC, which is designed to promote a campus-wide dialogue inspired by the works of William Shakespeare.
Believed to be written around 1603 and first performed in 1604, Measure for Measure’s themes of justice, “mortality and mercy in Vienna,” and the dichotomy between corruption and purity resonate still today: “Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.” While mercy and virtue predominate (the play does not end tragically), the play focuses on justice overall. The play follows an out-of-control attempt by the Duke of Vienna to clean up long-term, rampant corruption and vice in Vienna by mysteriously vacating his position and leaving oversight of the city to an overly-zealous judge.
"Actors have a personal connection with dramatic texts, which is distinctive and different from the scholars," said Founding Director Sir Patrick Stewart. "Our program gives the actor a unique platform from which to explore with professors and students what he or she does and why it is done. That exciting exchange is what Actors From The London Stage would like to bring to your campus.”
Before seeing the production of Measure for Measure on campus and discovering Shakespeare’s exploration of the exploitation of power, the public may join in a discussion of what this play might reveal in an investigation of the current political climate. The discussion will be at Granfalloon at 400 E. Main St,, #120 at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24.
The discussion will be led by Dr. Bryan Hampton, Dorothy and James D. Kennedy Distinguished Teaching Professor and Associate Department Head of English. Dr. Hampton will provide a summary of the play and help unpack its meaning. Dr. Michelle D. Deardorff, Adolph S. Ochs Professor of Government and Department Head of Political Science and Public Service, will explore the implications of this play to the contemporary American political climate.
This discussion is free and open to the public.