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UPV HumDiv hosts Shoreline Shakespeares Conference

UPV HumDiv hosts Shoreline Shakespeares Conference

The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) Division of Humanities, in partnership with the Asian Shakespeare Association (ASA), held the Shoreline Shakespeares: The 6th Biennial Conference of the Asian Shakespeare Association on December 4-6, 2024, at the UP Visayas, Iloilo City Campus. The event brought together scholars, performers, and literary enthusiasts from across Asia and beyond to celebrate and explore the Bard’s legacy.

The opening ceremony was held in the morning of December 4 at the UPV Little Theater, Iloilo City campus. Messages from Dr. Clement Camposano, Chancellor of UPV, and Ms. Beatric Lei, Chairperson of ASA, gave their messages during the ceremony.

A keynote speech on “Against the Current: How We Read Shakespeare’s Animals” by Ms. Karen Raber, professor of English at the University of Mississippi and executive director of the Shakespeare Association of America, followed the opening ceremony. In her talk, Ms. Raber reflects on how past and present scholarship on Shakespeare’s animals can be disrupted to advance an ecologically-oriented hermeneutics of kinship, compassion, and humility. 

Parallel sessions kicked off in the afternoon at the Little Theater, OICA Conference Room, and GCEB Training Rooms.

The second day of the conference began with the Graphic Shakespeare Award Ceremony, followed by a keynote speech by Ted Motohashi, professor of Cultural Studies at Tokyo University of Economics. His speech, “Between Technology and Ecology: Reflecting on the Trans-human in Gilgamesh, Suzuki, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” explored the role of technology within the art of theatre.

A cultural tour was also organized for the participants to tour around the city – from the UPV Museum of Art and Cultural Heritage galleries to the downtown area and Muelle Loney St., to Molo Mansion and Molo Church, and lastly, to Panaderia de Molo.

The day ended with a performance on Titus Tan by Teatro Tayo, which consists of students from the College of Physical Education, Sports, Culture, Arts and Recreation (PESCAR), West Visayas State University, and is directed by Anton Juan, professor and theatre director at the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Department of Film, Television, and Theatre. 

Titus Tan is a devised adaptation of the Bard’s Titus Adronicus, which is inspired by Iloilo political narratives, Philippine historical ruptures, and Layeta Bucoy’s “Tinarantandong Asintado” (The Mad Sharpshooter).

A roundtable discussion on “Shakespeare from Shore to Shore,” chaired by Poonam Trivedi of the University of India, started the third and last day of the conference. 

The panelists during the discussion included Koizumi Yuto from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan; Tarini Mookherjee of Queen’s University Belfast, United Kingdom; Scott Shepherd from Chongsin University, South Korea; Reto Winckler for City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; and Roweena Yipp of National University of Singapore, Singapore. 

To conclude the conference, The Forum Scene from Caesar’s Maze was performed by Wu Hsing-kuo, Anton Juan, and UP High School in Iloilo (UPHSI) Junior Theater Arts Club students. This is directed by Wu Hsing-kuo, actor, playwright, and artistic director of the Contemporary Legend Theater. 

Caesar’s Maze is a creative adaptation of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, blending traditional Chinese xiqu theatre. A demonstration from traditional Chinese xiqu theatre trained actor “Howie” or Chu Po-Cheng, amazed participants and students from UPHSI for showing his training and skills. 

Beatrice Lei, Wu Hsing-kuo, and Howie entertained questions from the participants and students. Among the topics were on the training of a xiqu theatre actor, feelings of portraying a Western man as a character, difficulties experienced as an actor, and observations on the portrayal of Brutus in The Forum Scene from Caesar’s Maze. (With sources from Asian Shakespeare Association)

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