“Sweet are the uses of adversity and this our life free from public haunt finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones and good in everything. I would not change it.”
Duke Senior, As You Like It, Act II. Scene I
On one perfect day in late summer, a small troop of actors, a director, and videographer traveled through the Arboretum’s landscape—south to north, Peters Hill to the Maple Collection—to film selections from the works of William Shakespeare in seven different locations. The results of their work, incorporating scenes and sonnets with a focus on the natural world, marks the third collaboration between Actors’ Shakespeare Project and the Arnold Arboretum. The Nature of Shakespeare will be presented in two parts, each live-streamed via virtual platforms, with experts from the Arboretum illuminating each specific natural area featured.
The Nature of Shakespeare emerges as a virtual event that underscores the timeless connections between humans and their environment. Overviews of the collections and stories of where the scenes are located meld with the sensibility of language and nature in Shakespeare’s work.
“Shakespeare uses nature often as the setting of the main action of his dramas,” explains ASP Artistic Director Chris Edwards of the collaboration with the Arboretum. “More often he uses nature as a metaphor for the lives people live in society as they deal with love, betrayal, passion, sickness, and political intrigue.” With themes that resonate deeply with our times, the collaboration offers another unique way to showcase the landscapes of the Arnold Arboretum and celebrate its many roles in the life of our community.
Presented in two different programs, The Nature of Shakespeare offers online audiences a unique and intimate opportunity to enjoy the richness of Shakespeare’s poetry and world view juxtaposed and in harmony with the eloquent beauty of the Arnold Arboretum. View both soon on our Watch With Us page and YouTube channel.
Our event was presented live via Zoom Webinar, with concurrent streaming on Facebook and YouTube, on October 3 (Part I) and October 17 (Part II).
Read more about the “Nature of Shakespeare” from WBUR The ARTery.
Also see the interview in The Boston Globe