Poculi Ludique Societas: Shakespeare and the Queen's Men

Poculi Ludique Societas: Shakespeare and the Queen's Men

Shakespeare and the Queen's Men is an experimental reconstruction of the staging techniques of the Queen's Men, the most influential acting company of the early Elizabethan era. Their plays inspired Shakespeare.

The centrepiece of the project is a re-enactment of a Queen's Men tour. For the first time in 400 years - indeed, since the troupe disbanded in 1603 - their plays will be staged in their original repertory format, in locations that allow us to re-experience the performance conditions on the company's touring routes in England in the 1580s.

Our three plays are those Shakespeare borrowed and adapted for his own masterpieces: King Leir became King Lear; The Famous Victories of Henry V became Shakespeare's three plays about Henry V; and a comedy likely in their repertoire, Three Ladies of London, contained the foundation for The Merchant of Venice.

Shakespeare and the Queen's Men will offer an unprecedented opportunity for scholars, theatre artists and theatre lovers to experience theatre history in action. It will provide new insight into the theatrical conventions Shakespeare adopted and rejected as he modified the plays and techniques used by this company in his early career.

Performances will take place in Toronto and Hamilton, Canada, during the week of October 24 to 29, 2006. During the same week, an international conference of scholars, theatre artists, and students will meet in Toronto to contribute their own research, see the plays, and participate in a cross-disciplinary round-table discussion evaluating the project's findings.

For more information about this unique and important event, please visit the Shakespeare and the Queen's Men website at:

www.chass.utoronto.ca/~reed/QueensMen/

The site will expand and change as research and production plans develop, so please bookmark it and visit regularly.

Donations to Shakespeare and the Queen's Men can be made online at:

www.canadahelps.org

Search for our partner Poculi Ludique Societas And enter "Shakespeare and the Queen's Men" in the message window when you donate.

If you have a question or a comment about Shakespeare and the Queen's Men, or if you wish to make a donation in US dollars, please contact us at:
reed@chass.utoronto.ca
Tel: 416-978-5096.