YEREVAN, Armenia — On April 27 and 28, the Armenian Shakespeare Association (ASA), in collaboration with the American University of Armenia (AUA) College of Humanities and Social Sciences, held its sixth international Shakespeare conference online. The event was hosted at AUA. This year’s conference focused on a single Shakespearean tragedy, titled “Let’s Talk About Macbeth: Treachery for/of Power and Where is the ‘Milk of Human Kindness’?”
Dr. Mica Hilson, program chair of the B.A. in English and Communications program at AUA welcomed the participants and highlighted the ongoing collaboration between ASA and AUA since 2016. He emphasized that the conference on Macbeth would deepen the academic discussion and explore different aspects of this multilayered tragedy.
ASA Chair Hasmik Jasmine Seymour expressed gratitude to AUA and Chamber Theatre. She noted that despite financial challenges, ASA continues to look toward the future, aiming to expand and strengthen its collaboration with Shakespearean scholars, theatre practitioners, and creative projects across countries.
The conference was attended by renowned academics, Shakespearean scholars, Ph.D. students, theatre directors, and early stage scholars from 25 countries, including the United States, Argentina, Iceland, Great Britain, Italy, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Japan, India, Ukraine, and Armenia. Alongside returning speakers, new participants also joined this year’s online conference in Yerevan.
There were three keynote speakers at the conference. Professor Emerita Lois Potter examined several memorable performances in the United Kingdom, both past and recent, drawing on her expertise in Shakespeare and theatre. Professor Sheila T. Cavanagh of Emory University, also an honorary member of ASA, examined substantial productions of Macbeth in the United Kingdom from a historical perspective. For the first time, the conference also hosted renowned scholar Professor Alexa Alice Joubin of George Washington University, whose presentation examined the educational, philosophical, and cultural impact of theatrical and cinematographic adaptations of Shakespeare’s tragedy.
The special guests of the conference, Elliot Huxtable and Charlotte Groombridge of the Canterbury Shakespeare Festival, United Kingdom, led two theatre workshops for highly enthusiastic participants: a masterclass for AUA students and another one for theatre students at Chamber Theatre.
Despite the ongoing international and internal conflicts, divided and broken societies, Shakespeare’s dramatic and literary heritage remains relevant and timeless for scholarship, innovative theatre, and arts, bringing together generations of diverse researchers, artists, audiences, and nations.
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.