Wartime Shakespeare in a Global Context

[yana meerzon]

Wartime Shakespeare in a Global Context/
Shakespeare au temps de la guerre
 University of Ottawa, September 19-21, 2009
Fought on every continent except Antarctica, the Second World War offers a unique, temporally limited but geographically inclusive period in which to analyse and probe the role and significance of the theatre in times of extreme social duress.   As the most frequently performed and translated playwright in the world, Shakespeare is arguably one of the most useful touchstones for examining a range of issues and questions brought to the fore during wartime which this international conference -- coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the declaration of war --- aims to address: 
 
What can the classics and, more broadly, theatre offer people suffering under the horrific conditions of war?  How does culture (both as an anthropological and as an aesthetic concept) change in wartime?  Are some aesthetic genres and modes more conducive than others in such a period?  How effective is the imposition from “above” of aesthetic criteria or of particular works? How do ordinarily benign artistic productions suddenly become usable, even necessary, as political propaganda? How are claims about the universality of authors revised or revisited in wartime when special pressures and demands are placed on literary and dramatic work?   How are issues of character and poetic language dealt with in circumstances which require collective, not individualistic, thought? What kind of relationship develops between “world classics” and indigenous canons of theatre and literature in wartime?  How do issues of gender, class, or political formation play into these debates?  Post-colonialism?  Translation?  Adaptation?  How do terms like “high” and “low” art function in wartime?  In periods of post-war reconstruction?  Where does the issue of globalization fit?  Do answers to any of  these questions about the Second World War still hold true today?
 
 
Registration is now open!!!!!!
A registration form is attached to this note. 
Kindly fill it out and mail it, with your payment, to the address indicated on the form.
 
FOR ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE, CONTACT Irene (Irena) R. Makaryk, Ph.D. Vice-Doyenne | Vice-Dean Faculté des études supérieures et postdoctorales | Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Université d'Ottawa | University of Ottawa Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5; vdgrad at uOttawa.ca



Accommodation:



Two hotels have set aside rooms for conference participants:



a)  The Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites, downtown Ottawa: special conference

rate of $124.00 (Canadian).  The hotel is located on a quiet side street

(111 Cooper St.) about ten to fifteen minutes walk from the University of

Ottawa.



Please visit their website at www.hiottawa.ca for details about rooms,

hotel amenities, location, and other links. Contact the hotel directly

yourself in order to make your booking, quoting the special group code B1K

and identifying yourself as being with the University of Ottawa.  All

reservations are required to be guaranteed by a credit card.



b)  Additional rooms, at a rate of $149 (Canadian), have been set aside at

the Lord Elgin Hotel, a five-minute walk over the Laurier Bridge to the

University of Ottawa.  Please call the hotel directly, toll-free at

1-800-267-4298 or contact them by e-mail at reservations at lordelgin.ca and

reference "University of Ottawa - Wartime Shakespeare" when making your

reservations.  For hotel amenities, location, and rooms, please visit

their website at www.lordelginhotel.ca.



c) There are a number of other hotels within easy walking distance of the

University.  These include The Embassy Hotel and Suites (kitchenette but

no restaurant): see details at www.embassyhotelottawa.com; Cartier Place

(both on Cooper Street): see details at www.suitedreams.com;  Novotel (on

Nicholas St.), see www.novotel.com; and, the luxurious, historical Chateau

Laurier, right next to the Houses of Parliament: www.fairmont.com/Laurier.
 
Arrival in Ottawa:

1.  From the airport:

There is a shuttle bus from the airport to downtown hotels.  Please see
their website at www.shuttle.com.  Taxis from the airport to the downtown
core may cost anywhere from $25 to $35.  Public bus:  The OC Transpo bus
#97 departs frequently just outside the front doors of the terminal and
stops directly in front of the University of Ottawa.

2.  From the Via Rail train station:

>From the front exit, follow the walkway to the end, passing over the bus
route.  Take the stairs down to the bus shelter and take bus #95, which
travels directly to the University.

3.  From the Greyhound bus terminal:

>From the front doors, walk left one block and cross at the intersection to
the far side of Bank Street.  Turn left:  the bus stop is one block up.
Take bus #1 or #7.  These buses will let you off at the Rideau Shopping
Centre which is a five minutes walk from the University of Ottawa.
 

Yana Meerzon, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Theatre

University of Ottawa,135 Seraphin-Marion St. Room 304BOttawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada
tel. 613-562-5800 ext.2243; yana.meerzon at uottawa.ca
 



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