Department of English to Present “Socially Distant Shakespeare”

Southwestern Adventist University’s Departments of English and Music will combine poetry, music, art and film in its annual Spring play – Socially Distant Shakespeare: A Night Six Feet Away from the Bard. This presentation tells stories of the human experience through scenes from various plays, accompanied by musical selections.

The scenes are inspired by Shakespeare classics such as As You Like It, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Henry V, The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, and King Lear. 

The selected scenes and musical pieces speak to the experience of pandemic, isolation and the need for human connection in the time of COVID-19. The play will be staged outdoors in order to provide space for as many people as possible to safely enjoy the performance while staying physically distanced. 

For the first time, the music and English faculty and students are collaborating on the production and as usual, the performances will feature Southwestern Adventist University students from various disciplines who either participate in the play as an extracurricular activity or take it for academic credit. 

In years past, the English department has presented plays by authors such as Oliver Goldsmith, Molière and William Shakespeare. In fall 2020, they presented Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. 

Performances will be at the SWAU Amphitheater located right outside the Mabee Center on Thursday, April 8 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 10 at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 11 at 7 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit swau.edu/EnglishPlay or contact Kristin Denslow at kdenslow@swau.edu or call 817-202-6306.

This year's production is directed by Dr. Kristin Denslow, Professor of English, and Sierra Hernandez, Senior Communication major.