Shakespeare enthusiasts gathered for the fourth annual William Shakespeare Birthday Bash on Tuesday.
The event paid tribute to the influential playwright, as well as recognized student achievement in the University of La Verne English Department this year.
The celebration took place in the President’s Dining Room.
Approximately 30 people enjoyed refreshments, including a birthday cake, and a lecture given by Jeffrey Kahan, associate professor of English at La Verne.
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“I saw a flyer and I decided to come tonight because I love Shakespeare,” freshman Stacy Graham said.
“I like Shakespeare’s humor, and I especially love his tragedies. I like how people are coming together and appreciating good literature.”
Kahan’s speech, “Conan the Shakespearean, Hamlet the Barbarian,” explored the similarities between Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and Robert Howard’s “Conan the Barbarian.”
It may be difficult to see a connection between Shakespeare’s greatest play and the film that famously typecast Arnold Schwarzenegger’s image. However, Kahan cleverly did so by comparing the two plots of the stories through quotes and scene explanation.
“As always, Dr. Kahan’s speech was surprising and interesting,” said Haley Stokes, senior English major.
Junior English major Christine Lewis agreed.
“I thought it was great,” Lewis said. “It’s amazing how something so abstract like Hamlet and Arnold Schwarzenegger can be pieced together so seamlessly. Who would have thought that Hamlet could still be tied to pop culture? Even though it is almost 400 years old, Shakespeare’s work can influence so many different things.”
Kahan, the event’s organizer, has a thorough knowledge of Shakespeare. He received his Ph.D. at the Shakespeare Institute of the University of Birmingham in England. He has participated in numerous projects relating to Shakespearean authorship.
In addition to the Shakespeare lecture, the English Department honored students with various awards. Stokes won the English Department achievement award, while Rochelle Hernandez and Erin Lisette read their winning essay contest entries. Seven other students also won department awards, including Lewis, Heidi Oberdink, Eileen Dominguez, Abigail Ramirez, Soraya Askari, Helen Fairman and Bailey Porter.
Overall, the event proved to be a success for the English Department.
“Dr. Kahan asked our class to come and, overall, I like Shakespeare and the characters he has created,” said Lauren Britt, sophomore English major. “We celebrate other important figures’ birthdays, like Washington and Lincoln, so why not Shakespeare?”
Tracy Spicer can be reached at okcomputerfan01@aol.com.