Overview
How did Black actors in Nashville in the early 1900s help to shape our understanding of Shakespeare? How was one woman at the Ryman auditorium solely responsible for bringing professional Shakespeare productions to the city?
“Nashville’s Shakespeare” is a grant-funded collaboration between Belmont University and the Nashville Shakespeare Festival that answers these questions by documenting the history of Shakespeare in Music City, focusing on civil rights and Southern culture, including gender equality and Black identity.
The project includes a website highlighting this history, high school educational materials, visits to local high schools from the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, an interactive theatre lobby kiosk, and community talks that invite high school students and public audiences to explore how Shakespeare’s work has participated in the city’s social justice movements and shaped their local community.
Join us!
Are you a high school teacher? An actor? A teaching artist? Reach out to learn more about how you can get involved!
Timeline
January-May 2022: Archival research and building online historical archive
May-August 2022: Teacher workshop and curriculum development
August-November 2022: Curricular revision
December-January 2023: Public talks, classroom visits, performances
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