Shakespeare co-wrote Timon of Athens with Thomas Middleton. Who was he? And how was his writing similar to (and different than) Shakespeare’s? Let’s find out.
A Trick to Catch the Old One by Thomas Middleton
Thursday April 24th at 8pm on Zoom
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Straight Acting: The Hidden Queer Lives of William Shakespeare by Will Tosh
Thursday March 27th at 8pm on Zoom
DM us or contact christine@shakespeareintheruff.com for the Zoom link. (Don’t have time to read the book but still interested in the conversation? Join us anyway!)
Straight Acting is available at Queen Books (10% off with the code RUFFREADS), the Toronto Public Library, as an Audiobook and as an eBook. Also check out our December 31s, 2024 Ruff Radio episode with author Will Tosh!
From the Publisher:
Was Shakespeare gay? The answer is both simpler and more complex than you might think . . .
Shakespeare’s work was profoundly influenced by the queer culture of his time – much of it totally integrated into mainstream society. From a relentless schooling in Latin and Greek homoeroticism, to a less formal education on the streets and in smoky taverns, from the gender-bending of the early comedies to the astonishingly queer literary scene that nurtured Shakespeare’s sonnets, this is a story of artistic development and of personal crisis.
Straight Acting is a surprising portrait of Shakespeare’s queer lives – his own and those in his plays and poems. It is a journey back in time and through Shakespeare’s England, revealing a culture that both endorsed and supressed same-sex desire. It is a call to stop making Shakespeare act straight and to recognise how queerness powerfully shaped the life and career of the world’s most famous playwright.
About Will Tosh:
Will is interim Director of Education (Higher Education and Research) at Shakespeare’s Globe, where he is responsible for undergraduate and postgraduate course, events for adult learners, and the Globe’s scholarly research programme. Will researches and writes about the literature and culture of Shakespeare’s England, and his work at the Globe includes dramaturgy, new writing development, and public engagement in person, in the media and online.Will is the author of Playing Indoors: Staging Early Modern Drama in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (2018), and Male Friendship and Testimonies of Love in Shakespeare’s England (2016), which revealed the intimate social circle of the Elizabethan spy Anthony Bacon. His most recent book is Straight Acting: The Many Queer Lives of William Shakespeare, which was published to wide acclaim in 2024. Will writes and reviews regularly for academic journals as well as the Times Literary Supplement and other news publications.
We’ve just looked at The Tempest through an 18th Century Irish lens. Now what happens when it’s reimagined in the Caribbean of the 1960s? Let’s find out.
Prospero’s Daughter by Elizabeth Nunez
Thursday June 27th at 8pm on Zoom
How does The Tempest transplant to 18th century Ireland? Let’s find out.
I’ll Be the Devil, a play by Leo Butler
Thursday May 30th at 8pm on Zoom
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Do you love Shakespeare but struggle with the seemingly inherent racism? This book is for you.
The Great White Bard by Farah Karim-Cooper
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What could this cult sci-fi classic teach us about Shakespeare’s Caliban? Let’s find out.
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It’s here! Ruff Reads 2024!
We’d be lying if we said we didn’t totally geek out over choosing the Ruff Reads selections each year. And this season is no exception! Join us as we read and discuss these exciting works, and take a look at how they might help us further understand the themes and ideas found in Shakespeare’s The Tempest as we gear up for Ruff’s 2024 summer production.
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Could Disability justice be the answer to just about everything? Let’s find out.
The Future is Disabled: Prophesies, Love Notes, and Mourning Songs by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
*** Moved to Tuesday, July4th at 8pm on Zoom
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What might we learn about our present-day political landscape from Shakespeare’s plays? Let’s find out.
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We love a bold and daring theatrical reimagining of a Shakespeare play, and this one is currently getting productions across the country. Let’s read!
Ruff Reads Conversation: Teenage Dick by Mike Lew
Thursday, April 27th at 8pm on Zoom