Riding the Tempest: America's Connection to Shakespeare

Join our Distinguished Guest Artist, Grant Mudge, for a literary discussion on The Tempest! Participants are encouraged to read or watch The Tempest beforehand (though all are welcome regardless of whether you've had time to complete the task)! Enjoy a literary dive into Shakespeare's text before the NDSF opening of The Tempest!

About our artist: This year's visiting distinguished scholar is Grant Mudge! Mudge has served as the leader of two Shakespeare companies: as the Founding Artistic Director of Richmond Shakespeare (VA) and the Mary Irene Ryan Producing Artistic Director of the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival (IN), part of the professional company of the University of Notre Dame.

The Tempest is a special story for Mudge, having produced, directed, or acted in four productions of the play in as many states across the country. His talk on July 27 will feature the story of Shakespeare's key source, an account of a shipwreck off Bermuda. The fortunes of the Sea Venture were an enormous sensation in 1609. The story had everything: famous royal figureheads, apparently supernatural phenomena, the miraculous salvation of 100 souls from certain death, and ultimately, rescue from a deserted island. Sound familiar? Even better, in 1958, divers actually found the ship off the coast of Bermuda. Lastly, join us to uncover the story of an archeological find in Jamestown, Virginia, in 2007, proving the link between Shakespeare, the ship, and the New World. (Of course, to Caliban, it was hardly "new!") See you in Grand Forks on the 27th of July for Grant, and The Tempest, running July 28-August 5, 2023.

*This event will be held upstairs in the meeting room!

To make a tax deductible donation, visit: https://grandforks.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1149