Reading and Acting The Shoemaker's Holiday by Thomas Dekker

About this course:

Thomas Dekker was a well-known playwright and pamphleteer in London and a contemporary of William Shakespeare. He was involved in at least 42 plays during his career, frequently as a collaborator or reviser, but much of his writing has been lost. Of the nine surviving plays that are entirely his own work, The Shoemaker's Holiday, is the best known and considered his masterpiece. It is a boisterous comedy about a madcap shoemaker who rises to become Lord Mayor of London and offers vivid and romanticized portrayals of daily life in London around 1600. Each week, we read scenes aloud from this entertaining play (free play script available online) and discuss them. All are welcome, no prior acting experience required.