The Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship Fall 2020 Online Symposium took place Friday and Saturday, October 2–3, 2020. Read the SOF news article here recapping the success of the symposium. Download the full schedule here.
The Symposium talks are available to watch right here! Below is a playlist including all presentations from the live event.
This exciting, free event was streamed live on the SOF YouTube channel. Featuring a gathering of leading scholars, it replaced the annual conference, postponed to Fall 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Symposium was dedicated to the memory of Tom Regnier, past President of the SOF and Oxfordian of the Year 2016, and continued the Oxfordian Centennial celebrations. The Symposium was hosted by Master of Ceremonies Steven Sabel (host of the SOF “Don’t Quill the Messenger” podcast), on Friday afternoon, October 2, 4:00–6:00 pm Pacific (7:00–9:00 pm Eastern), reconvening Saturday, October 3, 9:00 am–5:00 pm Pacific (12:00–8:00 pm Eastern).
Please click here for the schedule. The following were sent to all registrants during the week prior to the symposium:
- The official printable pdf program;
- Detailed background information on the various presentations and speakers;
- Recommended reading list; and
- Invitations to a follow-up Zoom session on Sunday, October 4, in which key speakers will take questions and engage in discussion about their symposium presentations, and to possible additional Zoom discussions on later dates.
The Symposium was designed by the SOF Conference Committee, chaired by Trustee and Secretary Earl Showerman, to maintain our fellowship and momentum amidst the challenges of this year. It was live-streamed from our main production venue in Napa County, California. Steven Sabel, who serves as SOF Podcast and Community Outreach Director — and who, as noted above, hosts the SOF “Don’t Quill the Messenger” (DQTM) podcast series — proposed and developed the online symposium concept. The event was produced with the technical assistance of DQTM podcast wizard Jake Lloyd Bacon of Dragon Wagon Radio.
To Our Generous Supporters: Thank You!
Generous funding has been donated in memory of Tom Regnier, including by those who waived refunds for the previously scheduled Fall 2020 conference. The SOF expresses deep appreciation in particular, for their timely support, to Paul Arnold, Ben August, Anthony Ellis, Mary Dawn Fallon, Catherine Hatinguais, Charlotte Hughes, Heidi Jannsch, Richard Joyrich, Diane Kallas, Bruce Kohler, Alex McNeil, Lily Parker, David Stritmatter, and Hank Whittemore.
Future Ashland Conference Plans
From 2005 to 2015 three very successful Shakespeare authorship conferences were held in Ashland, Oregon, home of the renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF). The SOF originally planned to hold the 2020 Annual Meeting and Conference in Ashland, but the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted our best-laid plans. The Annual Meeting was held online Sept. 26, 2020, followed by this Fall 2020 Online Symposium.
The OSF released plans in February 2021 that did not include any live-stage Shakespeare productions during 2021, forcing the SOF to again postpone our in-person Ashland conference. It is now scheduled for Sept. 22–25, 2022, at the Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites, which has worked flexibly through the pandemic and continues to guarantee the same favorable rates offered for 2020. Reservations may be made by calling the hotel at 541-482-8310 and requesting rooms secured by the SOF.
As in 2020, the SOF Annual Meeting in Fall 2021 will be held online, with a separate free virtual educational event comparable to the October 2020 and April 2021 Symposia. We will continue to explore all possible options for both in-person and online educational events in the future.
