About Travels with Willie
We are on an adventure!
We are searching for Shakespeare in 21st Century across the United States.
Is it possible to visit each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the USA over a continuous period, attend a performance of at least one of Shakespeare plays in each state, and see the complete canon of Shakespeare’s works?
Travels with Willie is a research project/adventure designed to combine a love for travel, theatre, and literature. It is inspired by Steinbeck’s book “Travels with Charley.” The adventure is framed around a continuous journey, primarily facilitated in our Thor Challenger 37FH, covering all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
The primary aim of this project is to explore and share the fun and significance of Shakespearean performance in the 21st century.
During our travels, we will attend multiple Shakespearean performances in each state, with the ambitious goal of experiencing the complete canon of the Bard’s works. At each performance site, I will conduct interviews with Artistic Directors, Theatre Artists, Community Stakeholders, and Audience Members to gain insights into what Shakespeare means to them today. These interviews will serve as the foundation for a book which will highlight the experiences of the journey and present our findings on the relevance of Shakespeare in performance in the 21st century.
Did you know there are more Shakespeare performances in the U.S. today than any other type of theatre. More Shakespeare Theatres, Companies, Performances (Professional, Community, College, High School, Middle School, Summer Camp, etc), training academies, etc., in the U.S. than any other type of theatre. Some are institutions. Some are folks simply acting in a park. These theatres/performances have audiences. They sell out and have capacity houses. Artists are remaking Shakespeare over in their own image. All Women Companies, all Black or Hispanic productions, modernized and revolutionary retellings of the Bard’s works.
Why? That is our question.
Why are the plays of a white Elizabethan male playwright who has been dead for over 400 years one of the most produced works in the US today?
When the sun goes down on the horizon, the lights come up in the theatre.
And you will be able to follow our adventure and find out “Where is Willie Now?”
Travels with Willie is a passion project that I am excited to realize.
Follow us and Join our Adventure!
