Shakespeare at Notre Dame
Shakespeare at Notre Dame is a program that recognizes the centrality of the study of Shakespeare in humanistic pedagogy at the University of Notre Dame.
Officially established in 2007, Shakespeare at Notre Dame's mission is to fuse the University’s pursuit of compassionate social justice with the study of the works of William Shakespeare. The program’s reach extends deep into the South Bend community, with a number of community-focused events every year, and beyond, to audiences from over a dozen countries across the world.
Shakespeare at Notre Dame encompasses a number of different initiatives including the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, Actors From The London Stage, and many others. Shakespeare at Notre Dame also partners with their sister organizations, the Not-So-Royal Shakespeare Company and the Robinson Community Learning Center.
Actors From The London Stage: Founded in 1975 by Dr. Homer "Murph" Swander and Sir Patrick Stewart, Actors From The London Stage is a dynamic, five-actor ensemble that tours twice yearly for weeklong residencies at colleges and universities across the United States.
Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival: A Notre Dame tradition since 2000, the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival features a mainstage Professional Company production, a 4-week Touring Company production, and multiple community-based events throughout the summer months.
Finally, the Shakespeare in Prisons Network, founded at Notre Dame, was designed to build societal re-engagement skills for incarcerated populations, with regular Shakespeare classes taught at Westville Correctional Facility in Westville, IN, and DePaul Academy in South Bend, IN.