About

Officially established in 2007, Shakespeare at Notre Dame's mission is to fuse the University’s pursuit of compassionate social justice with the study of the works of William Shakespeare. The program’s reach extends deep into the South Bend community, with a number of community-focused events every year, and beyond, to audiences from over a dozen countries across the world. 

Combining humanistic pedagogy and the world’s greatest works of literature, Shakespeare at Notre Dame encompasses a number of different initiatives including the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, Actors From The London Stage, and many others. Shakespeare at Notre Dame also partners with their sister organizations, the Not-So-Royal Shakespeare Company and the Robinson Community Learning Center. 

Of particular interest to Michiana residents are the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival and the Shakespeare in Prisons Network, both of which incorporate programs expressly designed for community impact. The NDSF’s Touring and Community Companies play to thousands of area residents every year in over a dozen different locations, featuring a full-scale touring performance, as well as long-standing community favorites like ShakeScenes and popular new events like Shakespeare After Hours.

Finally, the Shakespeare in Prisons Network, founded at Notre Dame, was designed to build societal re-engagement skills for incarcerated populations, with regular Shakespeare classes taught by Shakespeare at Notre Dame Mary Irene Ryan Executive Director Scott Jackson at Westville Correctional Facility in Westville, IN.

Shakespeare at Notre Dame Advisory Board

The Shakespeare at Notre Dame Advisory Board serves as the advisory board for the entire Shakespeare at Notre Dame program, which encompasses not only the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival but also the McMeel Family Chair in Shakespeare Studies and Actors From The London Stage.

Officers:

Dr. Eileen Ryan, Chair, Advisory Board
Andrew T. Blum, Chair, Executive Committee

Members:

Elizabeth Naquin Borger
Jeannelle Brady
James Collins
Kevin C. Dreyer
Peter Holland
Toni Johnson
Ginger Lake
Molly Murtagh Meyers
James H. Powell
Kurt Schreyer, Honorary
Amanda Abdo Sheahan
Bill Sheahan
Laura D. Arauz Smith

Ex-Officio:

Gary Graham

Emeritus:

Kathy Malone Beeler
Jack Cullen
John A. Haynes
Brian O’Donaghue

College of Arts and Letters Representative:

Peter Holland, McMeel Family Professor in Shakespeare Studies and Associate Dean for the Arts

Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival Founder:

Dr. Paul A. Rathburn