In the preface to the First Folio, Ben Johnson famously deemed Shakespeare to be “not of an age, but for all time.” Why is Shakespeare so enduring, and how did this come to pass? A world-class collection of Shakespeare scholars and artists will consider the enduring impact and allure of Shakespeare today.

PANELISTS

Emily Anderson is a professor of English at USC, where she specializes in eighteenth-century British literature and culture. She has published widely on topics such as the connections between the eighteenth-century novel and drama; the emergent celebrity culture of eighteenth-century theatre; Shakespearean forgeries and adaptations; and artistic representations of ghosts. Her most recent book is Shakespeare and the Legacy of Loss (2018).

Rebecca Lemon is an associate professor in the department of English at USC. She specializes in early modern literature, with particular interests in theatre, law, political theory, and the history of religion and medicine. She is the author of three books: Addiction and Devotion in Early Modern England (2018), King Richard III: Language and Writing (2018), and Treason by Words: Literature, Law, and Rebellion in Shakespeare's England (2006).

Natsuko Ohama heads voice progression for the MFA Acting Program at USC. One of the premier voice teachers in the world, she is a founding member and permanent faculty of Shakespeare and Company and senior artist at Pan Asian Rep New York. The Drama Desk–nominated actress has portrayed roles ranging from Juliet and Lady Macbeth to Hamlet and Prospero, and also appeared the action movie Speed, cult TV series Forever Knight, and American Playhouse on PBS.

Andrew McConnell Stott is USC Dornsife College Dean of Undergraduate Education and a professor of English at USC. The award-winning writer and academic has been a fellow of both the British Academy and the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers, and his most recent book is What Blest Genius? The Jubilee that made Shakespeare (2019).

David Bridel (moderator) was appointed Dean of the USC School of Dramatic Arts on April 15, 2016. He is the inaugural holder of the Braverman Family Dean’s Chair. Prior to his appointment as dean, he served as interim dean of the School of Dramatic Arts, associate dean of global initiatives, and director of the school’s MFA in Acting program. Under his leadership, the school is prioritizing new contemporary programs, an emphasis on new media, professional partnerships, and a focus on equity and inclusion.