Professor shares Shakespearean legacy at noon-time talk

Dan Hoffman Arizona Daily Wildcat Theatre arts Professor Mary Maher speaks about Shakespearean theater as part of the "Building Academic Community" speaker series. The free lectures take place every Wednesday at the Gallagher Theatre between 12:15 and 12:50 p.m.

Children should be taught Shakespeare at an early age, said Mary Maher, theatre arts professor and author of more than 40 articles in the Shakespearean Quarterly.

"The younger, the better," she added during her presentation, "Speak the Speech."

Maher said classical acting should be studied, because unlike sculpting, painting and poetry, theater has no record of its genius. After a play is finished, its art is gone.

"There is a mystery in the actor's craft," Maher said.

However, Maher said during Shakespeare's time the craft of the actor was not recognized by the public. Classical actors in that time were thought of as pimps and vagabonds, and the profession was considered the creation of a feasible lie, she said.

It is rumored that Shakespeare himself was an actor, and played the ghost in Hamlet, but Shakespearean scholars have no concrete evidence, she added.

"It's important for us to state that Shakespeare has some comical moments. I don't think it's true that students don't like Shakespeare," Maher said.

Listeners said they enjoyed the 30-minute speech and question and answer session that followed.

"It was very spectacular. It raised my awareness about how theater translates into our lives. We're lucky to have such wonderful professors on campus," said Michael Zelenkov, an accounting and finance junior.

Mike Scionti, a molecular and cellular biology and music junior, said he attends Gallagher's speaker series every Wednesday.

"It's a great break for the middle of the week to relax and hear professors talk about something they like, rather than what they're required to speak about," he said.

"We thought it was wonderful, especially the part about how Shakespeare should always be in schools. I'd like to see more Shakespeare on campus," said Dianne Smith, administrative assistant to the dean of engineering.

Annette Samac-Grejtak, a secretary in the Chemistry Department, said the speech reminded her of a play she performed in 40 years ago.

"That experience really made an impression on me. Shakespeare was a very important actor in my life," she said.