Conferences
Conferences
Register online for the 2007 Blackfriars Conference!
To celebrate the opening of the Blackfriars Playhouse in 2001, the American Shakespeare Center held a four-day conference for scholars of early modern drama. The event featured Andrew Gurr as the keynote speaker, short papers presented with the assistance of ASC actors, workshops on the Blackfriars stage, and a different play every evening (The Alchemist, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead). With the support of Mary Baldwin College, James Madison University, and the City of Staunton, for four days the Shenandoah Valley became the world's best place not only for those who love fall foliage, but also for those who teach, research, or produce Shakespeare on stage.
"The most convenient place that I can think of for such receipt of learning is Blackfriars."
- King Henry, from Henry VIII
That first event was so successful that in October of 2003, we held the Second Blackfriars Conference - this time for five days. Five keynote lecturers - Andrew Gurr, Tina Packer, Tiffany Stern, Meredith Skura, and Stanley Wells - 60 short papers (many of which featured Shenandoah Shakespeare actors), eight workshops, a show every evening (The Knight of the Burning Pestle, King Lear, Much Ado about Nothing, and Tartuffe) and more than 200 attendees made the conference another great success. Response from event attendees was so overwhelmingly positive, a third conference was held in October 2005.
This time, the conference was dedicated to famed illustrator C. Walter Hodges, and the American Shakespeare Center revealed the newly painted Frons Scenae. Andy Gurr returned to speak, along with Peter Holland, Katharine Maus, Barbara Mowat, Bruce Smith, and Tiffany Stern. Upwards of 70 scholars presented ten minute papers, several using ASC actors. The attendees saw 5 plays, including a new play from Paul Menzer: Anonymous. Workshops in voice, teaching, and foreign language on the Early Modern Stage allowed attending scholars to apply methods and practices in Shakespearean staging.
The 2007 conference will be held 24-28 October. David Bevington will keynote, and many other significant contributors to the field of Shakespearean staging will speak as well. We will release a formal announcement requesting abstracts for presentations before Thanksgiving 2006. Keep an eye on this site for more details.
Conference Schedule
*denotes event employing actors
Tuesday 23 October
• 3:00-4:45 pm Early Registration (Blackfriars Playhouse Lobby)
• 5:00 pm Early Arrivers party (Ralph and Judy Cohen’s)
- 4:45-6:00 pm Meet at the Blackfriars Playhouse from for Shuttles
• 9:00 pm Elizabeth, the Golden Age (Visulite), discussion following, reduced tickets available-contact
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Wednesday 24 October
• All Day – Information/Publisher’s room (Stonewall Jackson)
• 8:30-2:00 pm Registration (Blackfriars Playhouse Lobby)
• 8:30- 10:00 am Continental Breakfast (Blackfriars Playhouse Upper Lobby)
• 10:00am Alan Dessen Tribute* (Blackfriars Playhouse)
• 11:00- 2:00 pm Rehearsals with actors (various locations)
• 2:00-2:45 pm Keynote: Russ McDonald
• 3:00-4:15 pm Paper Session #1
- Thomson
- Aaron
- Kozusko*
- Stevens*
- Williams*
• 4:30-5:45 pm Workshops (Blackfriars Playhouse)
- Jan Gist (Stage)
- Becky Kemper (Tyson Center)
• 6:00 pm Opening Banquet hosted by Mary Baldwin College MLITT/MFA Program in Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature in Performance (Hunt West)
- 5:45 pm Shuttles depart from Blackfriars Playhouse
• 8:00 pm Romeo and Juliet* (Blackfriars Playhouse)
- 7:35 pm Shuttles depart from Hunt West
Thursday 25 October
• All Day – Information/Publisher’s room (Stonewall Jackson)
• 8:00-8:45 am Keynote speaker/ASC Board breakfast (Miller House)
• 8:30- 9:00 am Continental Breakfast (Blackfriars Playhouse Upper Lobby)
• 9:00am Paper Session #2 (Blackfriars Playhouse)
- Weingust
- Siler*(AV)
- Baragona (AV)
- Lake (AV)
• 10:15-11:00 am Keynote: Ros Knutson (Blackfriars Playhouse)
• 11:15-12:30 pm Paper Session #3 (Blackfriars Playhouse)
- Potter*
- Vanhoutte
- Engle*
- Lopez
- Stern
- Ford*
• 12:30-2:00 pm Lunch (on your own)
• 2:00-3:15 pm Paper Session #4 (Blackfriars Playhouse)
- Burris*
- Alter/Long
- Gaskill
- Lin
- Somerset
- Snyder*
• 3:30-4:15 pm One Act Play* by Mary Baldwin College MLITT/MFA Student (Blackfriars Playhouse)
• 4:30-5:00 pm REEDing* (Blackfriars Playhouse)
• 5:00-6:00 pm REED reception (Blackfriars Playhouse Upper Lobby)
• 6:00-7:45 pm Dinner (on your own)
• 8:00 pm Winter’s Tale* (Blackfriars Playhouse)
Friday 26 October
• All Day – Information/Publisher’s room (Stonewall Jackson)
• 8:30- 9:00 am Continental Breakfast (Blackfriars Playhouse Upper Lobby)
• 9:00 am Paper Session #5 (Blackfriars Playhouse)
- Hedrick*
- Weil
- Dailey
- Forster*
• 10:15-11:00 am Keynote: Stephen Greenblatt (Blackfriars Playhouse)
• 11:15-12:30 pm Paper Session #6 (Blackfriars Playhouse)
- Kaleba
- Cannon*
- Amster
- Morris
- Armstrong*
- Curns*
• 12:30-2:00 pm Lunch hosted by the City of Staunton (Stonewall Jackson Hotel)
• 2:00-3:15 pm Paper Session #7 (Blackfriars Playhouse)
- Johnston
- Tribble
- Livingston
- Hornback*
- Hailey*
- Kanelos*
• 3:30-4:15 pm One Act Play* by Mary Baldwin College MLITT/MFA Student (Blackfriars Playhouse)
• 4:30-5:45 pm Paper Session #8
- Boynton/Magnus*
- Steigerwalt
- Hyland
- McCarthy
- Wells
- Lloyd*
• 6:00 pm Reception for ASC Board and invited guests (Dudley and Martha Flanders home)
- 5:45 pm Shuttle departs Blackfriars Playhouse
• 6:00-7:45 pm Dinner (on your own)
• 8:00 pm Antony and Cleopatra*
Saturday 27 October
• All Morning – Information/Publisher’s room (Stonewall Jackson)
• 8:30- 9:00 am Continental Breakfast (Blackfriars Playhouse Upper Lobby)
• 9:00 am Paper Session #9 (Blackfriars Playhouse)
- Baker*
- Love
- Chalk
- Loehlin*
• 10:15-11:00 am Keynote: David Bevington (Blackfriars Playhouse)
• 11:15-12:30 pm Paper Session #10 (Blackfriars Playhouse)
- Lidh*
- Targoff
- Whitney
- Mead*
- Keegan*
• 12:30-2:00 pm Lunch (on your own)
• 2:00-3:15 pm Workshops/Roundtables
- I. Solti* (Stage)
- Brown/Lloyd (Tyson)
- Staging Roundtable (Masonic Blue)
- Teaching Roundtable (Masonic Red)
• 3:30-4:45 pm Paper Session #11 (Blackfriars Playhouse)
- Wilson*
- Schultz
- Bourus*
- Pickett
- Varholy*
• 5:00 pm Love’s Labour’s Lost* (Blackfriars Playhouse)
• 7:30 pm Banquet (Stonewall Jackson)
• 9:30 pm Brats of Clarence* (Blackfriars Playhouse)
Sunday 28 October
• 9:00-9:30 am Continental Breakfast (Blackfriars Playhouse Upper Lobby)
• 9:30- 10:30 am Paper Session #12 (Blackfriars Playhouse)
- Mott
- Boecherer
- Wise*
- Ill*
- Erlich/Kelly
• 10:45-11:30 am Tiffany Stern, Don Weingust and the ARS Season Actors*
• 11:45-1:00 pm Workshop Denley (Blackfriars Playhouse Stage)
• 1:00-2:00 pm Box lunch and Globe II Round Table with Peter McCurdy (Blackfriars Playhouse Tyson Center)
• 2:00 pm Romeo and Juliet* (optional extra-request tickets from
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