Staying Inspired Through the Arts

Staying Inspired Through the Arts Hey everyone, I cant believe were halfway through February! Im now acquainted with my syllabi, getting through some small essays and response papers, and preparing for midterms to appear in a few weeks. Plus, my study abroad friends are sending me postcards from the latest European cities theyre visiting, and Ive recently got engaged! Wow, lots of big things happening. Anyhoo, this semester Im taking Shakespeare 418 to complete a requirement in my major, and it can be a difficult class if youre not familiar with deciphering Old English translations or puns. I dont think most students enjoyed Shakespeare in high school, since were experiencing a language that just doesnt connect with us that well in todays world. However, this class is focused on the aesthetics of performance in Shakespearean plays, such as stage direction and lighting, as well as focusing on other intriguing tropes like gender, class, and diction in plays. Im not too keen on Shakespearean works to be honest, but its a class thats going to help me recognize some of the classical works of Shakespeare and understand the uniqueness of the time. Plus, its on the to-read list of many writers. One of the interesting class requirements is to go out and experience a Shakespeare play throughout the C-U area and draw upon connections to the texts were reading in class. There are performances done by Parkland College, local venues, and, of course, one of my favorite places to catch a show, the  Krannert Center of the Performing Arts. I just got tickets to see the opera version of A Midsummer  Nights Dream, a romantic comedy, next Saturday with my fiancé. Its fascinating and pretty neat to know that as Illinois students  were able to see a show in Champaign for $10 that would normally cost you around $160 to see elsewhere (such as the Shakespearean Theatre in Chicagos Navy Pier). Im not a huge fan of operas, but theres much to be learned as a writer, reader, and student in a Shakespeare English class. Ill have to let you know what I think of the opera next time. Lets have a great week! Jenny Class of 2016 I'm majoring in Creative Writing in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. I'm from the north side of Chicago, an artsy neighborhood along the lakefront called Andersonville. I plan to pursue a low-residency MFA program in Fiction Writing with the hope of becoming a published author.