The Department of English will celebrate William Shakespeare turning 450 years old on April 23 by hosting a range of on campus events throughout April.
The celebration, entitled Shakespeare Fest, aims to commemorate Shakespeare's impact on language, literature and the understanding of life.
Anna Riehl Bertolet, organizer of Shakespeare Fest and an English professor at Auburn University, said she got the idea for the festival in May of 2013 and was planning it by June.
"Now that he's 450, I thought it's now time we have a celebration for the entire campus," Riehl Bertolet said.
The majority of the festival takes place the week of Shakespeare's birthday, from April 21-26. Each day throughout this week there will be activities, including plays, poetry and gardening, that anyone is welcome to attend.
Riehl Bertolet said she believed Shakespeare's work resonates with so many people because it is interdisciplinary and covers a wide vary of topics.
Activities have already begun for Shakespeare Fest, with the library showcasing a range of Shakespeare's work in front of Caribou Coffee, as well as works that were produced during Shakespeare's era.
One of the most creative activities of Shakespeare Fest is Flashspeare. Flashspeare is a 24-hour theater festival starting at 6 p.m. at St. Dunstan's church on April 25, and finishing at the Auburn University Amphitheater.
Lindsay Doukopoulos, organizer of Flashspeare and an English professor at Auburn University, said something like Flashspeare has never been attempted on Auburn's campus but has had success overseas.
"Involved in Flashspeare are three groups: playwrights, directors and actors," Doukopoulos said. "The idea is that they'll meet together on Friday night, the writer will get paired with their director and actors, and then they'll take that information and use it to write an original play based on some aspect of Shakespeare."
Doukopoulos said the playwrights' script is due at 8 a.m. on April 26, when it is then handed over to the director who transform the script into a performance that will occur later that day at 6 p.m.
"We really want the students to get involved in the festival and come join in the events because they are fun in nature," Riehl Bertolet said. "It will be a great way to celebrate the Bard's birthday."
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