In 16th and 17th century England and Spain, the theater was uniquely prized – and feared – for its ability to imagine, articulate, and test ideas about political, religious, sexual, and social life. Shakespeare and Lope de Vega, two of the greatest playwrights of their respective nations, harnessed this power to interrogate and explore the worlds around them in ways that still resonate today.

Join Cornell Professor Philip Lorenz and a cast of actors including Isabel Arraiza, Rosie Berrido, Raúl Esparza, and Ceci Fernandez for an evening of readings and commentary exploring Shakespeare and Lope’s differing and converging dramatic achievements – as well as the quixotic efforts of their fellow genius, Miguel de Cervantes, to achieve theatrical greatness.