How Shakespeare Still Speaks to Us

By Adena Varner, Director of Arts Engagement

Each summer, I find myself attending local events where people will ask, “What shows are you all doing this summer?” For those who know us best, their question is more direct, “Which Shakespeare’s are you doing this year, and why?” My answer is never what the play is about. I never speak about its history and the last time it was produced. For me, it’s how the work continues to thrive in the present.

In Arts Engagement, we see that these stories still hold the power to reflect, challenge, and connect us, especially when they are in the hands of our community. 

In our Pam Farr Summer Shakespeare Studio camp, young artists step into the language of Shakespeare and explore the craft of classic storytelling while discovering their own voices within that text.

Through Globe for All, we remove barriers and meet audience members where they are by bringing Shakespeare productions directly into the neighborhoods of San Diego and the greater Baja California region.

In Reflecting Shakespeare, we partner with individuals in correctional facilities, where the intrinsic benefits of ensemble building meet the exploration of the language which opens space for self-reflection, empathy building and transformation. 

Each of these programs shares a common theme, that Shakespeare doesn’t belong to any one group or institution. It belongs to all who speak it, wrestle with it, and can see themselves in it. So, as you experience this production, I invite you to think about the many lives this work touches throughout our regions. From near to far, from our youth to our seniors, from our beautiful city to the furthest dirt roads of our counties, this language endures, these themes still resonate, and these lessons live on.

Come close and learn how we make this work come alive in Arts Engagement. Join us for our pre-show workshops happening on the plaza. Take a look at our website to register at TheOldGlobe.org. Space will be limited and you won’t want to miss the fun!

Header: (from left) Pam Farr Summer Shakespeare Studio, 2024. Mary Chieffo as the title character of the Globe for All Tour of Julius Caesar, 2025. A participant of Reflecting Shakespeare at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, 2025. Photos by Rich Soublet II.