Talk Offers a Peek of ‘Shakespeare@400’
John Blondell and Mitchell Thomas, Westmont theater arts professors, reflect on the lasting legacy of William Shakespeare while previewing “Shakespeare@400,” a citywide celebration of Shakespeare, in a talk Thursday, Nov. 10, at 5:30 p.m. at University Club, 1332 Santa Barbara Street. The Westmont Downtown Lecture, “Celebrating Shakespeare@400 in Santa Barbara,” is free and open to the public. No tickets are required; the limited seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please call (805) 565-6051.
Santa Barbara will host a series of performances Nov. 17-20 by an international coalition of theaters and arts organizations, all celebrating the remarkable life and work of Shakespeare on the 400th anniversary of his death.
During the lecture, Blondell and Thomas will share insights into the creative programming of the celebration, which will include works by Shakespeare’s Globe, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the National Theatre of Macedonia, the Lit Moon Theatre Company, and Westmont.
Shakespeare@400 opens with a sonnets-inspired new work, “Pop-Up Shakespeare,” co-produced by Lit Moon and the National Theatre of Macedonia on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 5 p.m. in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
“As You Like It,” staged by the Westmont College Festival Theatre, is Friday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in Westmont’s Porter Theatre.
“The Complete Walk,” featuring short films shot where Shakespeare imagined the plays and starring England’s finest actors, is Saturday, Nov. 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in multiple spaces and locations at Westmont.
“Julius Caesar,” staged by Lit Moon, is a timely political tragedy on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in Porter Theatre.
“Anthony and Cleopatra,” staged by the Bitola (Macedonia) National Theatre and featuring actors from Europe is Sunday, Nov. 20, at 5 p.m. in the Santa Barbara Sunken gardens.
The lecture series, Westmont Downtown: Conversations about Things that Matter, and the President’s Breakfast are sponsored by the Westmont Foundation.