Rob Wakeman, associate professor of English and Chair of the Division of Humanities at Mount Saint Mary College, recently delivered a community lecture exploring the enduring resonance of William Shakespeare’s work.
The presentation, hosted by the Catskill Mountain Shakespeare Community Book Club, took place at Rough Draft Bar & Books in Kingston, N.Y.
The event served to build anticipation for Catskill Mountain Shakespeare’s upcoming summer production of Much Ado About Nothing, scheduled to run from July 11 through July 27 at its outdoor theater in Hunter, N.Y.
Wakeman’s talk centered on the play’s core themes, including love, language, and Shakespearean perspectives on fatherhood. Attendees also engaged in a lively conversation with three actors from the theater company who joined the event.
“Shakespeare wrote in such a way that he can absorb whatever the audience puts into it, whatever the moment calls for,” Wakeman said. “He writes in a way that doesn’t beat you over the head with a thesis, but reflects back to the community whatever they’re feeling in that particular moment.”
Wakeman also emphasized the Bard’s unique ability to capture universal human experiences, from the complexities of family dynamics and love to broader societal commentary, highlighting the “enduring relevance, upsettingly so, of the mistreatment of women and the anxieties of social climbers.”
At the Mount, Wakeman utilizes Shakespeare’s timeless narratives to prepare future educators and other students, noting that the themes help them to better understand and interpret complex human emotions: “We think about Shakespeare as the master of what it means to be human, but how much of it is that Shakespeare taught us how to be human?” he posited.