ONE FOR ALL SOLO SERIES
Shakespeare and the
Alchemy of Gender
Conceived and Performed by Lisa Wolpe
Saturday, May 10 @ 2:00pm
Internationally renowned actor and Shakespeare scholar Lisa Wolpe has likely played more of the Bard’s male roles than any woman in history. From gender explorations to intergenerational trauma to the unforgettable story of her life, Lisa triumphantly illustrates that Shakespeare’s insight into the human condition is as relevant as ever.
This lyrical, fearless, and deeply personal one-person show is a quest for gender equality and women’s rights. Wolpe weaves Shakespeare’s monologues with stories of her family’s traumatic past. The play talks about Holocaust experiences, suicide, alcohol addiction, and sexual and physical abuse while eloquently using Shakespeare’s text to heal and create. The play may be best suited for prepared students able to handle the adult nature of the play.
Click or tap on the image below to watch the official trailer.
Lisa Wolpe was the Producing Artistic Director of the all-female, multi-cultural Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company from 1993 – 2016. She produced, directed, and worked with over a thousand women and girls, and became a leader in the movement for gender parity and diversity in the arts. She played leading roles in many iconic all-female productions, including Hamlet, Richard III, Angelo, Leontes, Romeo, Shylock, and Iago. Credits include PlayMakers Rep, Indiana Repertory Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Berkeley Repertory Company, Shakespeare & Co, Company of Women, California Shakespeare Festival, Colorado Shakespeare, Sedona Shakespeare, Shakespeare & Company, and Prague Shakespeare Company. Lisa has been a guest lecturer at more than thirty universities. She was named a FIRST Scholar as well as a Roe-Green Distinguished Artist for UC Boulder, and a Distinguished Artist for Whittier College in Whittier, CA. Lisa is a world-class expert in the exploration of gender in performance, and opens up new worlds for cross-gender performance through gesture, voice, and sociopolitical sway.