Smith and Tangier Island natives have an accent and dialect that is distinctive on the shore. Popular belief holds that their speech is directly descended from Elizabethan English, the language of Shakespeare. Is this really so? Crisfield Heritage Foundation is planning a series of events entitled
Shakespeare on the Chesapeake
, on Sunday, September 16--including a performance of Shakespeare’s
As You Like It
by Brown Box Theatre Project--that will explore these intriguing connections
.
Family Frames,
a documentary film by Dr. Jana Kopelent Rehak.
Sunday, Sept. 16 at
1 pm at the J. Millard Tawes Museum. Dr. Jana Kopelent Rehak will present the documentary, educating the general public about Smith Island’s unique heritage, history and traditions. Presented courtesy of Somerset County Library.
Is Smith Island English Shakespeare’s English? A lecture by Professor Natalie Schilling of Georgetown University.
Sunday, Sept. 16 at 2 pm at the J. Millard Tawes Museum. Professor of Linguistics Natalie Schilling will describe the findings of her years-long research on the speech of Smith Islanders.
Island Speakers Panel
. Sunday, Sept. 16 at 3 pm at the J. Millard Tawes Museum. After hearing a the lecture by Professor Natalie Schilling on the relationship between the speech of Smith Island and that of Shakespeare’s time, explore the living language of the coastal Chesapeake islands at the Island Speaker’s Panel. Native residents of Smith and Tangier Islands will discuss their memories and experiences of their distinctive speech during this informal presentation. Former Executive Director of the Smith Island Cultural Center and Smith Island native, Sherri Marsh Johns will facilitate.
Shakespeare’s
As You Like It
Sunday, September 16, 7:30 pm. Enjoy an outdoor performance of Shakespeare’s comedy
As You Like It
at Somers Cove Marina. The Forest of Arden comes alive in Brown Box Theatre Project’s 8th Annual Free Outdoor Shakespeare tour. When a motley cast of characters finds themselves banished from the court, misdirection, desire, and serendipity unite to form a tangled web of identity and love that could only be possible in this pastoral haven, where gender roles, politics, and expectations are turned upside-down.
As You Like It
will transport audiences into the heart of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies in a can’t-miss multi-state tour. The performance is free to the public. Light refreshments will be available for sale prior to the play.
