Special Guest Speaker: Douglas M. Lanier

Social Justice and Reparativity in Prison Shakespeare Narratives

Monday, October 20, 2025, 5:00 PM–6:30 PM

In-person at The Barn Door Gallery & online

COST: BY DONATION*

This talk explores potential tensions and congruences between social justice Shakespeare and reparative Shakespeare in narratives about Shakespeare prison programs. These programs have become a recognized means by which incarcerated individuals pursue personal reform, self-empowerment, and socialization. Yet, this form of 21st-century popular Shakespeare remains under-theorized and under-appreciated as both a distinctive subgenre and a vehicle for Shakespeare’s enduring cultural relevance.

Using three films as touchstones—Shakespeare Behind Bars (2005), Cesare Deve Morire (Caesar Must Die, 2012), and Sing Sing (2023)—Professor Lanier will examine how these narratives represent Shakespeare’s efficacy (or lack thereof) for incarcerated individuals. He will also explore what cultural and psychological work these stories accomplish, and how they do so.

Additional works to be discussed include:

Margaret Atwood’s Hag-Seed
Monica Wood’s How to Read a Book
Phyllida Lloyd’s all-female Shakespeare trilogy for the Donmar Warehouse

Don’t miss this insightful event—register now to join the conversation!

To reregister and make a donation, click here:

https://communityshakespearene.org/special-event-douglas-m-lanier/