Virtual: Humanities Decanted: Irwin Appel, Naked Shakes

Join us online for a dialogue between Irwin Appel (Theater and Dance) and James Kearney (English) about Appel’s theater company, Naked Shakes, and their recent production of Twelfth Night. Audience Q&A will follow.

Naked Shakes derives its rather provocative name from the principle that an actor in a bare theatrical space, along with meticulous attention to language, few technical elements, and the collective imagination of the audience, can create what Prospero in The Tempest calls “rough magic,” hopefully revealing the true heart, meaning, driving force, and original inspiration behind a Shakespeare play. This theatrical style demands actors who are highly skilled in voice and text and simultaneously greatly expressive with their physicality and imaginations. Entrances and exits are not necessarily literal or linear; an actor can simply exit by pulling down a mask or picking up a musical instrument. With the inspiration and creative power of our choreographers and designers, Naked Shakes blends wild, actor-generated theatricality with razor-sharp attention to language and imagery.

Irwin Appel (he/him/his) is Professor and Chair of the Department of Theater and Dance at UCSB. He is also a professional director, actor, and composer/sound designer, and he is the founder and artistic director of Naked Shakes, producing Shakespeare’s plays at UCSB, in the United States, and internationally since 2006.