cfp.english.upenn.edu

Localizing Shakespeare in Asia

Seminar for the 2009 BSA at King's College London (9/11-13/2009)

Although each Asian community has its own theatrical tradition, Shakespeare is probably the most read, studied, and performed single playwright in Asia. On the one hand, Shakespeare’s manifold presence exerts enormous influence: he is incorporated into formal education of English, translated and transformed on stage, and popularized by comic books and animation. On the other hand, Asia - both as a treasury of literature and art and as an emerging superpower - also informs Shakespeare scholarship and performance in the West. This seminar aims at exploring the intricate relations between Shakespeare and Asia.

Topics may include, but are not restricted to:

Shakespeare and British colonization in Asia
Shakespeare and Asian indigenous theatres
Shakespeare and Asian politics
Shakespeare and Asian religions
Shakespeare and Asian philosophy
Shakespeare and American cultural imperialism in Asia
Shakespeare and Asian popular culture

Please send your proposal (200 word max) to: Bi-qi Beatrice Lei (blei@ntu.edu.tw)

Proposals should be submitted by 31 May 2009.

An e-discussion board will be set up for pre-conference discussion.