William Shakespeare may have been gone for 400 years, but his cultural influence still looms large today. How do modern people react and interact with his work? Check out these documentaries that explore Shakespeare’s works in a modern context.
“Shakespeare Behind Bars” (2005)
Convicted felons at Kentucky’s Luther Luckett Correctional Complex rehearse for the Shakespearean production, “The Tempest,” as part of the Shakespeare Behind Bars Program. The play’s underlying theme of forgiveness parallels themes in the lives of the prisoners.
“The Hobart Shakespeareans” (2005)
Meet Los Angeles elementary school teacher and winner of the American Teacher Award, Rafe Esquith, who teaches his students to understand and perform Shakespeare as a motivational teaching tool and unique method of education.
“Teenager Hamlet” (2010)
Painter emerges into the streets of her own neighborhood, where she discovers a mixture of slightly out-of-balance young people. In a new take on the Shakespeare tragedy, this film sharply explores how young people make art and make their morality in the city.
