\”Education is the power to think clearly, the power to act well in the world\’s work, and the power to appreciate life.\” – Brigham Young

During the afternoon lecuture, Dr. Shaprio opened up the lecture by giving us the background information about what had prompted him to pen the book ‘A Year in the Life of Shakespeare’. He explain to us how the popular movie ‘Shakespeare in Love’ had given him the right amount of motivation to dig deeper, and gain more knowledge of the life of Shakespeare. While sitting in this lecture, probably like most of my fellow students, I was wondering how this Dr. was possibly going to lecture about an entire year in a short 40 minutes, but due that time limit, he focused on only seven weeks (Christmas 1598 – Febuary 1599). He gave more detail about those 7 weeks in the life of Shakespeare than I could have probably given about the last seven weeks of my own life! Dr. Shapiro was extremely captivating the way he described the daily routies and activies of Shakespeare’s life. During the course of this lecture Dr. Shairo gave us many key events in the life of Shakepears that embarrassingly enough, I had never even herd of. What I found most interesting was the fact that Shakespeare had poetry stolen from him, that was later published. Dr. espically spent time emphesizing how the war between the countires of England and Ireand was affecting the people of London.

After a lunch break, I was off the Stage-Talk with Dr. Shapiro. Due to some complications with the building and confusion about where we were supposed to meet, we ended up meeting in a, what appeared to be a room designed for dance students, ( I was given this impression due to the wall of mirrors which I typically see in movies that incoorpriate a plot about a dancer) but it actually worked out in our favor. We all sat very close to together, in a clumpy like semi-circle, were we all, well …most of us, took turns picking apart Dr. Shapiro’s brain for yet more details about not only the life of Shakespear, but about the play we were about to enjoy/apprechaite/learn from. It was much like a set where a family sits around a fire in a log cabin sharing stories, only there wasn’t a fire and obviously no cabin, but yet it still had that ‘homely’ feeling attached. Once again, Dr. Shapiro was very informative and did an excellent job about feeding us key knowledge that would help us better understand the play, and Shakespeare. I was espically excited that I was able to experience this part of the festival. In this Stage-Talk, there were a plethora of people from students to nuns, to parents and even some grandparents. We were all different in our walks of life, particularly age, (in the most respectful way possible) but were all together in the same room sharing the same expierence and being drawn together to apprechaite a man who has contributed so much the world of literature. That experience is something I won’t soon forget.

To end the night, or rather to begin the night, I headed over the the auditorium where I sat front and cetner ready to have yet another encounter with the late William Shakespeare in Cymbeline. To be blunt, I had never even cracked this book, but I am very glad that had the oppurnity to experience this production. I was actually really impressed with the play as a whole. When it comes to acting I’m clueless but in my opinion that actors were extremely talented and did a brillitant job! There were a couple of dramatic sceans that incorporated guns, smoke and cannonballs, but they were performed brilliantly. My favorite part of the play: the beautiful Victorian English, even thought I had to spend some time translating within my head.

All in all, I’m glad that I decided to attend the Shakespeare Festival. Obviously I like Shakespeare seeing as I’ve chosen to study literature in college and plan on persuing a teacher career where Shakespeare will be present, attending this festival has strengthed my apprechation for the work of Shakespeare.