Haunting History Onstage

Marathons through Shakespeare's history plays are feats of endurance for the repertory companies performing them and the audiences attending them.

Scholars of Shakespeare's history plays, Shakespeare in performance, and fans of The Hollow Crown will all be drawn to this exploration of two marathon productions of Shakespearean histories. With an emphasis on details of the productions, the book explores their impact, still resonating as the performances themselves recede into history.In 2016, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the Stratford Festival of Canada mounted marathons through Shakespearean history to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of Shakespeare with Tug of War and Breath of Kings. Both productions invited parallels to contemporary political events in their promotion and design, just as the original performances of these works in the Shakespearean era used past events to comment on present realities. Endurathons for cast and audience alike, Tug of War and Breath of Kings used double-casting, stylized treatments of violence and 'firsts' for each company to sweeten the bitter pill of these historical narratives.