The Residency Schedule
All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.
All events take place in Ann Arbor, unless otherwise noted. For more
information about any of these events, please call the UMS Box Office
at 734-764-2538 (outside the 734 area code and within Michigan, please
call toll-free 800-221-1229).
Prologue: A Royal Welcome
Monday, March 5, 5:30–7:30 pm,
Power Center for the Performing Arts
A gala UMS-UM reception celebrating the arrival of the Royal Shakespeare
Company in Ann Arbor. Meet the company; preview the transformed house;
and enjoy authentic ales, fine wine, and regal fare. 6:00pm: Opening
Ceremony with RSC Associate Director Michael Boyd, UM President Lee
C. Bollinger, and UMS President Kenneth C. Fischer. RSVP by February
23, 734-936-6837. Tickets $125.
Keynote Interviews
Michael Boyd/Ralph Williams
Sunday, March 11, 2:00–3:00 pm, Rackham Auditorium.
UM Professor of English Ralph Williams interviews Michael Boyd, RSC
Associate Artistic Director and Director of the Henry VI/Richard
III tetralogy.
Adrian Noble/Lee Bollinger
Sunday, March 11, 3:00–4:00 pm, Rackham Auditorium.
UM President Lee C. Bollinger interviews Adrian Noble, RSC Artistic
Director.
Ralph Williams Lecture Series
“Now Here a Period of Tumultuous Broils”
Four public lectures by Ralph Williams, UM Professor of English. Each
lecture will cover one of the plays featured in the RSC tetralogy. Recommended
reading: Arden Shakespeare Series or Penguin Edition. At Professor Williams’
request, please read each play before attending the lecture. All lectures
will be held in Rackham Auditorium.
- “There Comes the Ruin, There Begins Confusion”—1
Henry VI
Monday, January 29, 7:00–8:30 pm.
- “Death in the Garden of Iden”—2 Henry VI
Monday, February 5, 7:00–8:30 pm.
- “I Am Myself Alone”—3 Henry VI
Monday, February 12, 7:00–8:30 pm.
- “God Say Amen”—Richard III
Monday, February 19, 7:00–8:30 pm.
Guest Lecture
“Dreams of Kingship: Ghostly Terror in Shakespeare’s
Richard III”
Monday, February 19, 4:00–6:00 pm,Rackham Auditorium.
Stephen Greenblatt, Professor of Shakespeare, Harvard University. In
collaboration with UM Medieval and Early Modern Studies as part of the
Early Modern Colloquium.
Staging History
This four-part series is designed to share a unique “behind the
scenes” look at how the RSC developed this tetralogy technically
and artistically over the course of 17 weeks this past fall.
- Part I—The Stage Led by Fiona Lindsay, RSC Education.
Tuesday, March 13, Power Center for the Performing Arts.
11:00–11:45 am—The Stage— RSC stage managers will demonstrate
how they work with this incredibly complicated set.
Noon–1:30 pm—Design and Lighting— Featuring RSC Set
Designer Tom Piper and RSC Lighting Designer Heather Carson.
1:45–3:00 pm—Fight Arranging with the Actors Featuring RSC
Fight Director Terry King and RSC actors.
- Part II—Backstage Stories
Led by Fiona Lindsay, RSC Education.
Thursday, March 15, 9:30–11:00 am,Power Center for the Performing
Arts.
“How did they do that?” The RSC technical team shares how
it manages 13 hours of theater and remains calm. This workshop will
involve lighting, sound, makeup and stage management experts, featuring
both demonstration and hands-on experiences.
- Part III—The Musicians and the Composer
Thursday, March 15, 2:00–3:30 pm.
UM Special Collections Library, Hatcher Graduate Library.
Did you know that all the music is performed live for the RSC performances?
Come meet RSC musicians James Jones (percussion/composer for the tetralogy),
Keith Waterman (percussion), and Edward Watson (percussion/sax/clarinet).
- Part IV—The Actors
Sunday, March 18, 2:30–3:30 pm, Rackham Auditorium.
Interview with RSC actors and Sarah Esdaile, Associate Director of
the Henry VI/Richard III tetralogy.
Michigan Radio Programming
March 5 “A Look at the Plays”
March 6 “Portrait of David Oyelowo”
March 7 “Staging the Histories for Today”
March 8 “RSC: Reaching Out to Michigan”
All four features will air at 7:50 am during Morning Edition
and 4:50 pm during All Things Considered.
March 9 “Henry VI: What you Need to Know”
Join Michigan Radio Station Manager Donovan Reynolds and UM English
professor Ralph Williams for an hour-long program on Michigan Radio.
The program will air on Friday March 9th at 8 pm.
Listen to Michigan Radio:
WUOM 91.7 in Ann Arbor, WFUM-FM 91.1 in Flint, and WVGR 104.1 in Grand
Rapids.
Special Exhibits
“Costuming Shakespeare’s History Plays”
UM Special Collections Library, Hatcher Graduate Library.
This exhibit features prints, photographs, and drawings of a wide variety
of costumes from productions of Shakespeare’s history plays since
the late 18th century. The exhibit draws on the rich Shakespeare collections
in the UM
Special Collections Library and RSC Archives, including British
actor David Garrick’s leather gloves, reputed to have belonged
to William Shakespeare.
Wednesday, February 7–Saturday, April 14.
Monday–Friday, 10:00 am–5:00 pm.
Saturday, 10:00 am–Noon.
Special extended hours in connection with performances: Sunday, March
11 and Sunday, March 18, 12:30–4:30 pm; Tuesday, March 13 and Thursday,
March 15, 5:00–7:30 pm. Contact Kathryn Beam, Curator, for more
information and group tours: 734-764-9377.
Related Exhibit Events
Reception and Panel Discussion: “The Look of Shakespeare’s
History Plays”
Tuesday, February 13, Reception 7:00 pm, Program 8:00 pm.
UM Special Collections Library, Hatcher Graduate Library.
Celebration of a new exhibit on costumes with panelists discussing their
experiences in designing productions of Shakespeare’s history plays.
Moderated by UM Theater Professor Gary Decker.
Panelists:
- Jeannette Lambermont and Dany Lyne, Stratford Festival of Canada
(Director and Designer for this season’s new production of Henry
V)
- Blair Anderson, Chair of the Wayne State University Department of
Theater
- Nephelie Andonyadis, UM Scenic and Costume Designer
“From Jerkin to Jacket: Changing Styles in Shakespearean Costume
Design”
Three public lectures by Kathryn Beam, Curator of the Exhibit &“Costuming
Shakespeare’s History Plays.”
Sunday, March 11, 1:00 pm,(exhibit open 12:30–4:30 pm).
Thursday March 15, 6:30 pm, (exhibit open 5:00–7:30 pm).
Sunday, March 18, 1:00 pm,(exhibit open 12:30–4:30 pm).
UM Special Collections Library, Hatcher Graduate Library.
Exhibit: “Shakespeare On Campus” Through April 2001
Bentley Historical Library.
Monday–Friday, 9:00 am–5:00 pm; Saturday, 9:00 am–12:30
pm.
This campus-wide celebration of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s
visit to Ann Arbor features images and documents highlighting the various
theatrical, musical, dance, and scholarly interpretations of Shakespeare’s
works by University of Michigan drama groups, visiting professional
performers and UM faculty throughout the years. It includes an 1807
edition of The Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare that was
owned by the University’s first president, John Monteith.
Additional Events
A Taste of the British Isles
Thursday, March 8, 7:00 pm, Zingerman’s Delicatessen.
Taste new products and cheeses as part of Zingerman’s British Month.
Hosted by members of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Simone Jenkins,
Zingerman’s Cheese Educator/Buyer. A collaboration with Zingerman’s
and UM Medieval and Early Modern Studies, as part of the Early Modern
Colloquium. RSVP by February 28, 734-764-2538. $15 per person.
“Engendering History: Women, Gender and Shakespeare’s
History Plays”
Friday, March 9, Noon, Rackham Assembly Hall.
Panel Chair: Valerie Traub, UM Associate Professor of English
and Women’s Studies.
Panelists:
- Simon Reade, RSC Dramaturg
- Jean E. Howard, Professor of English and Comparative Literature,
Columbia University
- Phyllis Rackin, Professor of English in General Honors, University
of Pennsylvania
- Peggy McCracken, UM Associate Professor of Romance Languages and
Literature
In collaboration with the UM Institute for Research on Women and Gender.
The Art of Acting and Directing Shakespeare
Friday, March 16, 4:00–5:30 pm, UM Alumni Center.
UM Professor of Theater Leigh Woods interviews members of the RSC. In
collaboration with the UM Institute for the Humanities.
Community Acting Workshop
Tuesday, March 20, 7:00–9:00 pm, Performance Network.
Acting workshop for professional actors with RSC actors and Sarah Esdaile,
Associate Director of the Henry VI/ Richard III tetralogy. To
participate, call Performance Network, 734-663-0696. Open to the public
for observation.
English High Tea—CANCELLED
Shakespeare (and His Contemporaries): RSC on Campus
During the three-week RSC residency, members of the RSC will be visiting
many university classrooms for special lectures, dialogues, and workshops.
The following list features those visits that are open to the public
for observation. Seating for all classes is limited to capacity.
Tuesday, March 6, 1:00–2:30 pm, 3532 Frieze Building.
UM Theater Professor Leigh Woods’ class, “History of Theater,”
with Clare Venables, RSC Director of Education. This class will work
on the challenge of retrieving Shakespeare for modern audiences and
traveling with it between regions and countries.
Thursday, March 8, 10:00 am–Noon, UM Residential College Auditorium.
UM Drama Professor Martin Walsh’s undergraduate class, “Shakespeare
on the Stage,” with Simon Reade, RSC Dramaturge. The focus of this
class is the dramaturge’s role, and the interplay of traditional
history, Shakespeare’s “take” on history, and the RSC
production’s “take” on Shakespeare.
Thursday, March 8, 1:00–2:30 pm, UM Residential College, Room
Tyler 220.
UM English Lecturer Elizabeth Goodenough’s literature seminar,
“Children Under Fire,” an undergraduate interdisciplinary
course on the literature of children and violence. With Simon Reade,
RSC Dramaturge, and Sarah Esdaile, Associate Director of the Henry
VI/Richard III tetralogy, if available from rehearsal. The focus
of this class is the problem of child kings and the death of royal children.
Thursday, March 8, 3:00–4:00 pm, UM Business School Hale Auditorium.
UM English Professor Ralph G. Williams’ undergraduate class, “Staging
History: Shakespeare on Legitimacy and Rebellion,” with Simon Reade,
RSC Dramaturge. The focus of this class is “Text and Script: Page
to Stage,” with attention to the choices RSC has made for this
production, the implications of other choices which might have been
made, or have been made in other productions, and the impact of these
choices on the plays as presented.
Thursday, March 15, 10:00 am–Noon,UM Residential College Auditorium.
UM Drama Professor Martin Walsh’s undergraduate class, “Shakespeare
on the Stage,” with RSC actors and Clare Venables, RSC Director
of Education. The focus of this class is coaching and discussion with
students who have prepared scenes from Henry VI and Richard III.
Thursday, March 15, 3:00–4:00 pm,UM Business School Hale Auditorium.
UM English Professor Ralph G. Williams’ undergraduate class, “Staging
History: Shakespeare on Legitimacy and Rebellion,” with RSC actors.
The focus of this class is on the particular challenges of working with
the Henry VI plays and Richard III‹e.g., the actors’ process of
arriving at their sense of character, personality, and significance
within the context of the whole production and the styles of other characters.
Monday, March 19, 11:00 am–12:30 pm,
Tuesday, March 20, 7:00–9:00 pm,
Washtenaw Community College, Towsley Auditorium, Morris Lawrence Building.
Workshop on “Actors on Acting Shakespeare,” as part of WCC’s
class, “Royal Shakespeare Company Experience,” Barbara Mackey,
instructor. Led by Clare Venables, RSC Director of Education, and RSC
members. This workshop will expose students to the process of character,
scene and monologue development and will cover the use of voice, body,
and stage movement as it relates to communicating the meaning of text
and creation of character.
Wednesday, March 21, 11:00 am–3:00 pm,Wayne State University,
Old Main Building and Hilberry Theater, Detroit.
Detroit Workshops with WSU Theater Department undergraduate and graduate
students. With RSC actors, Sarah Esdaile, Associate Director of the
Henry VI/ Richard III tetralogy and Fiona Lindsay, RSC Education.
The focus of these workshops is wide-ranging and may include graduate
actors working on scenes and undergraduates working on text analysis
or prepared monologues. Exact schedule to be determined; contact the
WSU Theater Department for more information, 313-577-3508.
Wednesday, March 21, 4:30–6:00 pm,Frieze Building Arena Theater.
UM Theater Department Chair Erik Fredricksen’s workshop, “Open
Floor,” with UM theater students and RSC actors. Students who have
memorized lines will receive coaching on voice, text, and acting from
RSC actors/voice coach.
RSC Goodbye Party
Wednesday, March 21, 8:00 pm, Leopold’s Brewery & Greenhouse.
Everyone welcome! Say goodbye to the RSC at this community-wide event
with members of the Company. Cash bar and snacks.
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