Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.
A new exhibit at the McNay Art Museum will use 85 works to explore William Shakespeare's influence on modern cultural landscapes, along with the artistic conversations around his plays.
“Designing Shakespeare through the Ages,” which runs from March 27 to July 6, will display paintings, sculpture, books, paper works from the museum's Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts, and theatre designs, including from San Pedro Playhouse’s 2024 production of “Midsummer Sueño.”
The museum said in a statement: "Through the designs of Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, Twelfth Night, Othello, The Merchant of Venice and King Lear, the exhibition explores the plays’ respective themes, revealing a different facet to the human condition while pointing to the enduring influence of Shakespeare in popular culture."
“By bringing together Shakespeare’s texts with visual designs, local productions and pop culture, we hope to make the complex literature more accessible,” said Remus Moore, the Tobin Theatre Arts Fund assistant curator, as quoted in the statement. “Visitors will come away with a deeper appreciation for Shakespeare, whose continuing influence is apparent across time and artistic forms.”
The exhibit will also include a musical soundtrack of pop songs, ballet and opera scores, and other classical pieces — all inspired by Shakespeare's works.
The McNay will also partner with the San Pedro Playhouse to offer workshops where participants can get learn around acting and costume design.
The collaboration includes a performance of "Romeo + Juliet" at San Pedro Springs Park, beginning on March 25, as part of the annual Shakespeare in the Park outdoor series.
Included in the McNay's statement was a schedule of related film screenings and lectures:
Film Screening: Hamlet (1996)
Saturday, April 12, at 12 p.m.
Join us for a screening of Hamlet (1996), starring Kenneth Branagh in a powerful adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic.
Shakespeare from Stage to Screen with Tim Hedgpeth
Thursday, May 1, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Hear from San Antonio-based theatre teacher, director, actor, and collage artist, who will discuss adaptations of Shakespeare's works.
Film Screening: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)
Saturday, May 24, at 2 p.m.
Join us for a screening of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990), starring Gary Oldman and Tim Roth, which offers a witty and offbeat take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, focusing on two minor characters caught in a world of confusion and absurdity.
Shakespeare Costume Workshop
Saturday, June 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Led by costume designer Rachael Lorenzetti, this hands-on workshop is perfect for theatre enthusiasts, costume designers and history lovers. Materials provided.
Shakespeare Acting Workshop
Saturday, June 28, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Led by Tony Ciaravino, co-founder of Classic Theatre of San Antonio, this workshop teaches Shakespearean text, voice and movement.
Film Screening: West Side Story (1961)
Saturday, July 5, at 2 p.m.
Enjoy West Side Story (1961) on the big screen and see how Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet finds new life in 1950s New York.
