English Students and Faculty Share Stage with Justice Ginsburg
Posted in: CHSS News
On Saturday, September 23, English department faculty and students participated in a roundtable discussion of Shakespeare’s "The Merchant of Venice" with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and eminent scholars David Scott Kastan and James Shapiro. The event was part of a series of events surrounding Kasser Theater’s production of The Merchant of Venice, directed by Karin Coonrod.
Naomi Liebler, professor in the Department of English, introduced the roundtable with a talk that addressed the play’s relevance to our time, as well as the history of Shakespeare performance both at Montclair State and more generally. “In all the ways that really matter, this perfect combination, this perfect brainstorm, is not at all surprising with its collection of ‘others’ in a place suspicious of and yet dependent on them for survival,” said Liebler. “Merchant is the right play for us…not only because it vibrates with national and global issues but also because it speaks to this university’s own embrace of diversity. It’s a stroke of good luck we should have all of this right here, right now.”
Adam Rzepka, assistant professor in the Department of English, provided closing remarks, and two English majors, Allison Gormley and Gustavo Vasquez, engaged Justice Ginsburg and the panel with questions about the play.
The play ran through October 1 as part of Kasser Theater’s Peak Performances series.