Shakespeare in the Theatre: Tina Packer

Tina Packer's ground-breaking approach to performing Shakespeare has made her company among the most vibrant and enduring Shakespeare theatres in America. This book examines her work, drawing on new interviews with the original casts and creative teams and Packer herself. Packer has directed or acted in virtually all of Shakespeare's plays and other classical and contemporary works, guided by her conviction that the purpose of theatre is to heal and that acting must tell the truth. Katharine Goodland offers a clear account of Packer's work and contribution to Shakespearean theatre in America, while illuminating the embedded nature of regional Shakespeare in communities across the United States.

Format: Hardback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 11 July 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

This book delves into the remarkable work of acclaimed director Tina Packer, the founder of Shakespeare & Company, a renowned Shakespeare theatre in America. Packer's groundbreaking approach to performing Shakespeare has made her company one of the most vibrant and enduring Shakespeare theatres in the country. Packer's journey in the world of Shakespeare began in 1971 when she directed her first Shakespeare play at the London Academy for Music and Dramatic Art. More than 50 years later, she continues to direct and teach at Shakespeare & Company, which she founded in Lenox, Massachusetts, in 1978. This book is the first comprehensive analysis of all of Packer's professional Shakespeare productions in their cultural and historical context. Packer has directed or acted in virtually all of Shakespeare's plays, as well as many other classical and contemporary works. As artistic director, she guided her company through times of expansion as well as belt-tightening, driven by her conviction that the purpose of theatre is to heal and that to fulfill that purpose, acting must tell the truth. With in-depth case studies of 12 of her most significant productions, Katharine Goodland offers a clear account of Packer's work and contribution to Shakespearean theatre in America while illuminating the embedded nature of regional Shakespeare in communities across the United States.

Dimension: 198 x 129 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350205710