Class Description
For centuries, writers have riffed on Shakespeare's plays and poems. From West Side Story (Romeo & Juliet) to The Lion King (Hamlet) to Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres (King Lear) to Margaret Atwood's Hagseed (The Tempest), contemporary storytelling is informed by the Bard. In this workshop, we'll look at a Top Ten list of Shakespearean reinventions, discuss how to use Shakespeare’s work as rich source material for your own writing, and collectively articulate what his work teaches us about good storytelling. In the second half of the workshop, we'll do writing prompts and share/critique ideas participants have about developing their own stories inspired by the Bard. You will leave with a clearer understanding of how Shakespeare’s writing can help improve yours and some short drafts to build on. No knowledge of Shakespeare is required. You're as welcome to come and learn as you are to share your long-held opinions.
Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.
For more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.
This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. Please visit the Resources tab to access the video-conference link.
Zoom Participation:
Students are not required to turn their camera on, but are encouraged to participate any way they feel comfortable through functions such as the live chat, emoji reactions, and unmuting the microphone. Learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
We ask that instructors enable closed captioning and send a transcript of the session after class. You can also enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting. If your instructor forgets to send the transcript, just send ’em an email!