Let’s talk about Shakespeare!

William Shakespeare symposium

+ evening performance: Her Infinite Variety – Women of Shakespeare in Word and Music 

September 14th 2020 at 3 pm

3pm SYMPOSIUM STARTS
 

DAN HENRIKSSON – Aritstic director, Klockriketeatern
- Short introduction

NIKO SUOMINEN – Shakespeare researcher, teacher, University of Tampere (Näty)
- Shakespeare then and now

CARL ALM – director, Klockriketeatern
- Thoughts on directing Julius Caesar

OTSO KAUTTO – artistic director, Tampereen Työväen Teatteri
- Thoughts on directing Hamlet

- Panel discussion

Moderated by EVA BUCHWALD – dramaturg, Finnish National Theatre 

With special appearace by JOHN CAIRD – director, honorary associate director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, UK

5:30 pm COFFEE AND REFRESHMENTS
 

7 pm PERFORMANCE
 

Her Infinite Variety – Women of Shakespeare in Word and Music
with ELINA MUSTONEN – actor and musician
directed by JOHANNA FREUNDLICH

A discussion after the show together with Mustonen and NELY KEINÄNEN – dramaturg, Shakespeare researcher
 

Venue: SFV-huset G18, Yrjönkatu 18 in Helsinki

Language: English (the audience is welcome to ask questions in different languages)

The theatre will make sure that safety distances are kept. Masks will be provided at the door.

Her Infinite Variety

Women of Shakespeare in Word and Music
 

On stage: ELINA MUSTONEN

Dramaturgy and direction: JOHANNA FREUNDLICH, NELY KEINÄNEN, ELINA MUSTONEN

Music selected and arranged by: ELINA MUSTONEN

The title of Elina Mustonen's performance is taken from Enobarbus' speech about Cleopatra: “Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale / Her infinite variety” (2.2).

The Egyptian queen’s irresistible charms allow her to “make hungry / Where most she satisfies.”

We interpret this phrase more broadly, seeing it as a fitting label for the wide range of female roles in Shakespeare’s plays. Shakespeare gives life to women of all ages, from young maidens being wooed, to young brides, wives, mothers, and female friends.

We have selected key moments from a number of Shakespeare’s plays touching on the infinite variety of female roles in Shakespeare, interspersing them with pieces played on the virginal written by Shakespeare’s contemporaries. You will hear a wide range of emotions both in words and music — love, desire, anger, ambition, frustration, fear, humor.

We hope this program gives you a sense of the infinite variety not only of Shakespearean women, but also of the infinite beauty of Shakespearean verse.