The Shakspere Society of Philadelphia

Authors

  • Matt Kozusko Ursinus College

Abstract

Cluster: “Shakespeare Readings, Societies, and Forums.” Edited by Matt Kozusko, Christy Desmet, and Robert Sawyer. 

The Shakspere Society of Philadelphia was founded in 1851 by Philadelphia-area lawyers seeking a social and intellectual supplement to their professional duties. As a Shakespeare "club," members looked to the plays and poems as an opportunity for "regular social reunion . . . so arranged that improvement of the mind should result." This simple arrangement has shaped the way the Society and its chroniclers have understood the group ever since: a delicate balancing act in which dinner-club socializing and academic study function both as complements and competitors. The overview of the Society I offer here attempts to trace the two poles of "academic" and "social" through the group's own minutes and histories. I conclude by considering the usefulness of binary models in describing modes of practicing Shakespeare today.

Author Biography

Matt Kozusko, Ursinus College

Matt Kozusko is Assistant Professor of English at Ursinus College, where he teaches Shakespeare and early modern literature. His recent publications include "Taking Liberties," in Early Theatre, 9.1 (2006) and "Bard in a Barn," in Borrowers and Lenders, 1.1 (2005). He is currently researching appropriations of Shakespeare in contemporary film, radio, and television. He is Appropriations in Performance editor for Borrowers and Lenders.

Issue Cover text: B&L, Vol. 2, No. 2, 2006. Image: 18th century actress in a shepherdess costume tips her hat.

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Published

2006-09-01

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2006): Fall/Winter

Section

Notes