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Shakespeare scholar to revive ‘Cardenio’

By Brittney Mestdagh
9/20/2008

In literature, William Shakespeare is celebrated for his ability to reconstruct the past to relate to the present.

Renowned literary critic Stephen Greenblatt will present "Cultural Mobility: The Strange Case of Shakespeare's Cardenio" Wednesday at the L.V. Eberhard Center at Grand Valley State University's Pew Campus.

Greenblatt's lecture is a part of both GVSU's Shakespeare and Fall Arts festivals.

The Shakespeare lecture is held annually to bring the community together to honor the works of Shakespeare.

"Students who attend will get the chance to see a world-class scholar in action," said Jo Miller, an English professor helping to coordinate the event. "It will give them a chance to use their imagination and explore more fully what it means to be human."

Greenblatt will discuss "Cardenio," Shakespeare's lost play. There are records of its production, but it was never recorded, Miller said. In the 18th century, Lewis Theobald claimed to have found the manuscript, but it remained unpublished and its supposed location burned down.

When Greenblatt received the Mellon Distinguished Humanist Award in 2002, he wanted to contribute to intellectual life with a project to understand playwriting, he said. Thus, he co-wrote "Cardenio" with playwright Charles Mee.

Being a renowned Shakespeare scholar, Greenblatt knows all of Shakespeare's techniques in storytelling, Miller said. They followed the same storyline drawn from episodes in Miguel de Cervantes' novel "Don Quixote."

Miller anticipates a cultural lesson for those who attend as well as an opportunity to advance critical thinking skills.

"Expect to learn how the imagination works and how we value it," Miller said.

She hopes students will attend the event to not only learn more about Shakespeare, but also to learn more about themselves and their part in the world.

Miller is teaching a class on Greenblatt this semester, requiring students to read several of his articles and books.

"Some students think of Shakespeare as old and irrelevant -- but Greenblatt brings him back into the world," said Shelley Sickrey, a graduate student in Miller's class.

He puts Shakespeare in the context of the modern world so everyone can understand it, she said.

The cultural aspect is especially important when referring to Shakespeare because it is studied throughout the world, Miller said.

"Cultural material (like Shakespeare's plays) moves around and is borrowed and reused in different cultural situations," Miller said.

The same situations he writes about are transferable to other cultures. This is just one of the things Greenblatt will be touching on in his lecture, she added.

Greenblatt is a well-known figure in the academic community, and many professors, including Miller, are honored to have him come to GVSU.

"It shows persistence pays off," said Karen Libman, theater professor and director of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Libman was among a group of professors who saw Greenblatt lecture at a conference in 2001 and had been working to bring him here ever since.

"He breathes life into Shakespeare, making it understandable for anyone," Libman said.

bmestdagh@lanthorn.com

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