Exploring the evidence that the works of Shakespeare were written by Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford

Non-Stratfordians Respond to 400th Anniversary of Shakspere’s Death

William ShakespeareApril 8, 2016

This month, as Stratfordians commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of the Stratford grain merchant who is widely credited with writing plays under the name “William Shakespeare,” John Shahan of the Shakespeare Authorship Coalition reports that “groups of authorship doubters in cities all over the world have decided to reaffirm support for the Declaration of Reasonable Doubt to make the point that we are celebrating the wrong man.” Shahan says:

If the phenomenon of doubt about Shakespeare’s authorship is, in fact, a “psychological aberration,” as the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon long claimed, then perhaps someone should alert the World Health Organization to this strange and terrible epidemic of doubt, since it seems to be spreading fast. One vector for this disease has been identified in the form of a 1-page flyer that is quite easily disseminated.

Thanks to the SAC and Mr. Shahan for the following list of events that are scheduled to take place this month. If you know of other non-Stratfordian events taking place in April, please contact us at info@shakespeareoxfordfellowship.org.

April 11, 2016

South Florida

Florida appeals attorney Tom Regnier, President of the Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship, will appear live at GableStage, presenting “Did Shakespeare Really Write Shakespeare? Or Did Someone Else?” on Monday, April 11th, at 7:30 p.m. GableStage is located at the Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Avenue in Coral Gables, Florida (Miami area). Admission is free. No reservation is necessary. A question and answer session follows.

April 23, 2016

London, UK

The De Vere Society will hold its Annual General Meeting at the Amba Hotel (formerly the Thistle Hotel), Marble Arch, Oxford Street, London, on Saturday, 23 April, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. It will include a debate between Alexander Waugh and Ros Barber (of the Marlowe Society) on possible roles of the Stratford man and other issues, and reaffirmation of support for the Declaration. We appreciate the continued support of the DVS. Rumor has it that DVS member Derek Jacobi may attend and also comment on the Declaration.

April 2016

Sydney, Australia, celebrates Shakespeare Authorship Awareness Month!

Graham Jones and Jepke Goudsmit, of Kinetic Energy Theatre Company fame, have declared the month of April to be “Shakespeare Authorship Awareness Month.” They chose this over a one-off event on April 24 because Australian doubters are so widely dispersed. A Declaration poster will be part of a display in their lobby, and everyone who attends any of their plays will get a Declaration flyer. This will reach people who know little about the issue. They have already announced Shakespeare Authorship Awareness Month on their website and Facebook page. This is a very creative response, as one would expect from this dynamic duo, and I think that we should all consider following their example and institutionalizing SAAM in future.

April 24, 2016

Bochum, Germany

The Neue Shake-speare Gesellschaft holds its Annual General Meeting on April 24 in the theatre town of Bochum, Germany, at the Freies Bildungswerk, a conference center directly across from Schauspielhaus, the famous theatre where the orthodox German Shakespeare society meets and attends Shakespeare plays. The NSG has always been a strong supporter of the SAC and the Declaration, and we greatly appreciate that they rescheduled their AGM to this date so they could join in reaffirming their support for the Declaration.

Oslo, Norway

Independent scholar Petter Amundsen and author Geir Uthang have teamed up to co-host an event titled “The Shakespeare Enigma: Exploring the Authorship Question” in a ninety-seat theater at the prestigious House of Literature in Oslo, Norway, on April 24th, from 2:00 – 7:00 p.m. The event will include a showing of Amundsen’s documentary film, Shakespeare’s Codes; lectures by author, poet and critic Gösta Friberg, and by his wife, actress Helena Brodin Friberg; a debate among representatives of alternative candidates; and a reading and signing of the Declaration of Reasonable Doubt.

Toronto, Canada

Professors Don Rubin of York University and Sky Gilbert of the University of Guelph, plus actor Keir Cutler, poet Chris Pannell and Diana Price, author of Shakespeare’s Unorthodox Biography, will team up to present “Shakespeare’s Unorthodox Biography: A Celebration,” April 24, 4 – 6 p.m., at the Berkeley Street Theatre (Rehearsal Hall) in Toronto. The event is free, but seating is limited. Tickets are limited to four per person. Dr. Keir Cutler will perform a medley of comedic creations, including his hilarious “Shakespeare Crackpot;” Diana Price will talk about all the growing doubts about Shakspere, followed by a roundtable discussion and a Declaration signing. Event organizer Don Rubin will be away. For tickets or information, email: shakespearedoubt@gmail.com.

Flint, Michigan

The Michigan-based Oberon Shakespeare Study Group will host an event titled “Reasonable Doubt about Shakespeare” on April 24, starting at 2:00 p.m., at the University of Michigan-Flint Campus, in the “Happenings Room” of the University Center Building, 303 E. Kearsley Street, Flint. The event will be hosted by UM-Flint Professor Matthew Wyneken, Ph.D., and moderated by Richard Joyrich, M.D., Chair of the Oberon Group. A map and directions are on the UM-Flint website. The group will hold a discussion of the Authorship Question and of the SAC’s Declaration of Reasonable Doubt.

Los Angeles, California

The Shakespeare Authorship Coalition and the Shakespeare Authorship Roundtable will co-host an event titled “Beyond Reasonable Doubt” at the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles on April 24, 2:00  – 5:00 p.m. SAC patron Michael York will introduce the documentary film “Last Will. & Testament.” (Only the first thirty minutes, on reasons to doubt the case for Shakspere of Stratford, will be shown.) Other speakers include SAR Secretary Sylvia Holmes and SAC Chairman John Shahan. Shahan will talk about new evidence and arguments turned up since 2007, to be published in a sequel to the SAC’s Declaration of Reasonable Doubt, titled “Beyond Reasonable Doubt.” The event is free, but ticketed. For more information, see a copy of the invitation here.

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