Shakespeare in Today’s World (Best of OLLI)
Why do Shakespeare’s plays remain relevant centuries after they were written? This class aims to reveal what has fascinated and inspired artists for centuries, and the timeless paradoxes inherent in these classics that lie at the core of the human condition. This course will focus on how Richard III, The Merchant of Venice, Measure for Measure, and The Tempest speak to our current moment of remaking our world and these unfathomably tumultuous times. These works will be explored from the perspective of an actor and director.
Faculty Bio
Michael Socrates Moran is the founder and artistic director of the Oakland Theater Project. He is an award-winning director and actor, having directed over 20 classics and world premieres. He has acted professionally in Boston, New York, and Chicago, and holds an M.F.A. in directing from UC San Diego.
This is a Best of OLLI Course
- Best of OLLI subscription courses are popular courses recorded a previous term
- All class videos will be available to enjoy immediately upon registering through Mar. 30 in Member Dashboards. Learn more.
- Course is available to Annual Plus, Premium Plus, Best of OLLI and Fee Assistance members. Learn about membership.
- Current Annual and Premium members can upgrade to Annual Plus or Premium Plus for an additional $10
Member Praise for Michael Moran
Michael is absolutely excellent. His knowledge of the subject is extensive. His relationship with the students is very good and he has an excellent sense of humor. Not having studied Shakespeare before, some of it was above my head. But by reading other materials I was pretty much able to follow along
The professor’s knowledge and skill as a director and actor provided a wonderful experience of the plays covered and an insightful analysis of the performance of the plays in today’s culture as well as throughout history back to the time of Shakespeare.
Moran is not arrogant about his knowledge: he obviously knows his Shakespeare well, but willing admits anything he doesn't know. I enjoy his perspective as an actor and a director as well as a scholar, and I particularly value his enthusiasm for Shakespeare and theatre in general. I've been interested in Shakespeare most of my life, but I've certainly learned a lot of new things via this course.