Thanks to grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and MidAtlantic Arts Foundation, Del Shakes has been able to create two Arts Journalists-in-Residence positions. Gail Obenreder and Christian Wills will share insights and reflections on Del Shakes programming. Check back here for updates!

An ancient tale told anew
by Gail Obenreder, Arts Journalist-in-Residence

To end a challenging season – an amalgam of virtual events and safely distanced outdoor presentations – Delaware Shakespeare rounded out 2020 with an online reading of a challenging play, William Shakespeare’s Cymbeline.

Building Bridges Through Culture
by Christian Wills, Arts Journalist-in-Residence

On November 23rd, Delaware Shakespeare hosted an online panel called “Culturally-Specific Shakespeare Productions.” The goal of the event was to continue the conversation of culture and its usage within theatre productions and convey the purpose of having culture among Shakespearean productions.

Shakespearean-esque stories at Fort Christina
by Christian Wills, Arts Journalist-in-Residence

A unique experience was found at a historic site, hidden deep in Wilmington’s Eastside area as Del Shakes’ presented a socially-distanced version of its annual “Shakespeare, Poe & Fiends” program.

Two perspective on “Color-Blind vs. Color-Conscious Casting in Shakespeare”
by Christian Wills and Gail Obenreder, Arts Journalists-in-Residence

Del Shakes asked its two Arts Journalists-in-Residence, Christian Wills and Gail Obenreder (one BIPOC, and one white), to both share reflections on Del Shakes’ October online discussion – the first in a two-part series on “Race in Shakespeare Productions.”

How did the PLAY ON! Players do?
by Christian Wills, Arts Journalist-in-Residence

On the evening of October 2nd, Delaware Shakespeare streamed a virtual theatrical game show, where competitors performed Shakespearean segments against each other from the comfort of their homes. Audience members were able to vote on who they believed were the best through donating to Delaware Shakespeare. The competitor with the most donations was crowned champion of the night.

Shakespeare, Poe & Fiends – On the River
by Gail Obenreder, Arts Journalist-in-Residence

For the past nine seasons, Delaware Shakespeare has welcomed fall with a dramatic evening of dramatic readings focused on spirits, mystery, and hauntings, huddling audiences together in atmospheric and vaguely sinister sites around the region.

The Bard’s in the Garden
by Gail Obenreder, Arts Journalist-in-Residence

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.” Of course, in Sonnet 18 Shakespeare is speaking about the eternal beauty of his love. But in September in Delaware, the days are – indeed – often more lovely and more temperate. The air is crisp, and the equinox sun comes slanting through trees. That mellow fall embrace also bathes the Delaware Art Museum’s Copeland Sculpture Garden, the setting for Delaware Shakespeare’s latest theatrical offering.

{Mostly} Virtual… Totally Festive
by Gail Obenreder, Arts Journalist-in-Residence

A festival – by nature and by definition – is a gathering often held annually and in the same place, built around a community, or a theme, or a cultural centerpiece. In England’s Elizabethan age – the time of Shakespeare – there was a festival every month. These were regular markers, created mostly on religious themes or to honor saints, and people structured the ebb and flow of their lives around them. A few – like Michaelmas or St. Swithin’s Day or St. Crispin’s Day – have largely been sidelined now. But it’s surprising how many of them (brought here by English immigrants) are still American popular culture touchstones.

The Soliloquy Stroll Experience
by Gail Obenreder, Arts Journalist-in-Residence

“A fantastical banquet . . . so many strange dishes!” So says Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, and he could be describing this summer’s Delaware Shakespeare Soliloquy Stroll. For 15 of its 18 years, Del Shakes has lit up majestic Rockwood Park with an ever-increasing, enthusiastic summer audience sitting among towering trees, attending a Shakespeare play. And for two weeks each July, there’s been a buzz of excitement as families and friends follow a winding Park walkway to claim their viewing spot.