Shakespeare Attendance Essay

Shakespeare Allowed is a monthly event that has been in place at the Nashville Public Library for over seven years. People from all walks of life appear at the library on a Saturday morning and follow the signs to the stage. All ages participate and more than 2,000 people can say they have read a Shakespeare play…out loud.

Denice Hicks is the artistic director for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. She has been referred to by Jeffery Ellis with BroadwayWorld.Com as “a national treasure hiding out in plain sight” and it would behoove anyone to become acquainted with such a person who emits such love for Shakespeare from every inch of her being. I have had the honor of speaking with Ms. Hicks on several occasions and have participated in the Shakespeare Allowed event twice in the past few years. Her presence

The first time I participated was spring 2014, Measure for Measure and I was terrified. The idea of sitting at a table with strangers chilled me to the bone as I am a very introverted person and I do not function well within groups. At the end of that particular reading, I shed many sparks of fear. In having the opportunity to revisit Shakespeare Allowed this year, I had no trepidations. When I walked into the room there was a sense of familiarity and comfort. Two years later and some of the faces were the same in the round.

When I read Shakespeare, I feel a connection to a time that has long passed yet the storylines and themes are relevant 400 years later. His words show that humanity which is ever-changing also stays the same. This particular play Much Ado About Nothing covers the theme of deception. Deception is a human trait and thus the characters are identifiable to a new generation of readers. When I read on this particular Saturday afternoon, I felt not only a connection to time, but to a group of people who are connected by one