Shakespeare and Southern Writers

"He was not of an age but for all time," Ben Jonson said of his friend and rival Shakespeare. The truth of Jonson's axiom is evident in this new book, the first full-length study to assess Shakespearean performances on southern stages. It is a study of the plentiful evidence throughout the history of the American South that Shakespearean plays have been performed with success on southern stages. The thirteen essays in this collection seek both to document and to evaluate these performances from colonial to contemporary times. The essays, written expressly for this volume, are divided into two parts: histories of Shakespearean performances and accounts of some southern Shakespeare festivals. The historical evidence shows the importance of Shakespeare in the theaters of Richmond, Charleston, Annapolis, Baltimore, Mobile, Vicksburg, Natchez, New Orleans, and Houston. A vigorous Shakespearean tradition has continued into the present time as festivals in North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, and Texas emphasize the importance of Shakespeare.