ABOUT ME
My name is Esther McFaden. I am a freelance stage manager and theater technician who dabbles in carpentry, electrics, and whatever else is needed. I also moonlight as a closet academic who writes essays for fun about the books and plays I read. In addition to these things, I am a coffee and scotch lover, avid reader, disciple of God, and fervent soccer fan. I love theater and its power to speak to everyone, reach beyond barriers, and create community.
E-Mail me here with questions or comments.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
When I happened across a blog page posted in a theater Facebook group about one person's plan to read all of Shakespeare's published works in the coming new year I told my friends and tried to convince them to participate with me. They gently suggested that I turn my idea for all the mini essays, queries, comments, and topics I want to discuss into a blog. I balked at the idea originally, but the idea kept growing on me until I decided to take the plunge. For those of you who wish to follow along, here is the full reading schedule. Please also follow Ian Doescher, creator of the Shakespeare 2020 Project, here.
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In reading and rereading the Bard it is clear that this is not a one-year project for me. 2020 will follow the original schedule with at least one piece of writing for each play; however, in the subsequent years I will revisit the plays and expand on certain pieces, polish others, or add new essays as I feel compelled. Shakespeare's works provide a feast on which to feed.
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2020 ended and my whirlwind tour of Shakespeare is complete! Essays, poems, fictions, and other writings in response to the plays are making their way to this site, but the initial reading journey is concluded. It was a rich experience that has inspired much thought, and I look forward to delving more deeply into the plays, beginning with the histories, while continuing to look at the way Shakespeare uses madness throughout his canon.
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2021 brought a more focused look at the histories which I admittedly approached in a more cursory manner. My heart was much more interested in the subsequent year's focus, the comedies. 2023 continues the journey with a closer study of the tragedies. The struggles and small victories of the last few years only prove the resonant power of these works.
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