At the American Shakespeare Center, our work doesn’t stop at the edge of the stage. Theatre is a conversation—one that extends beyond performance into the ways we interpret, teach, and engage with Shakespeare’s works.

If you’ve ever left the Blackfriars Playhouse wanting to dig deeper into Shakespeare, theatre, and storytelling, these two voices—Dawn Monique Williams and David Sterling Brown—are leading that conversation far beyond the stage.

Dawn Monique Williams

A Director and Podcaster Bringing Shakespeare Into New Conversations

Dawn Monique Williams is a theatre director whose work with ASC has brought bold, engaging productions to the Blackfriars Playhouse. A champion of Shared Light, she has directed numerous plays that invite audiences into the world of the story with immediacy and connection.

Beyond directing, she’s also expanding the conversation about Shakespeare through her podcast, Not Without Right: Shakespeare in the Public Domain. The inaugural episode, Black Girls Love the Bard, features JaMeeka Holloway and Sam White in a discussion about their time at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the role of founding artistic directors, and how multidisciplinary approaches—like STEAM—intersect with theatre. The episode is a powerful look at the many reasons why Black women engage deeply with Shakespeare.

 Explore more from Dawn Monique Williams:

•  Listen to Not Without Right: Shakespeare in the Public Domain (Podcast)
•  Subscribe to Blackfuturist Shakespearean (Substack) for bonus content and deeper insights on storytelling, theatre, and Shakespeare
• Read “Dawn Monique Williams’ Madcap Merry Wives” to learn how she brought madcap comedy to ASC’s Fall 2024 production of The Merry Wives of Windsor at the Blackfriars Playhouse

David Sterling Brown

A Scholar Expanding How We See Shakespeare

As a scholar and member of ASC’s Board of Trustees, David Sterling Brown brings a vital perspective to Shakespearean studies. His work challenges traditional narratives and expands how we discuss race, identity, and representation in early modern drama.

His book, Shakespeare’s White Others, takes a bold look at how Shakespeare constructs whiteness in his plays—not just in contrast to Blackness but as a racialized category of its own. Brown examines characters like Richard III, Hamlet, and Tamora, exploring how their portrayal complicates ideas of identity, privilege, and race in early modern drama.

Coming Soon: Paperback Release on March 6! If you want to continue the conversation beyond the stage, this book is an essential read.

 Explore more from David Sterling Brown:

•  Pre-order Shakespeare’s White Others (Paperback) – Available March 6, 2025, through most booksellers
•  Read about Brown’s Keynote Speech on Race in Shakespeare from the 2019 Blackfriars Conference

Join the Conversation

Shakespeare’s influence goes far beyond the stage, and so do the voices shaping how we experience his work today. Dawn Monique Williams and David Sterling Brown are just two of the many artists and scholars in the ASC community who are keeping the conversation alive—expanding how we understand these plays, their histories, and their possibilities for the future.

Whether you’re looking for fresh perspectives on Shakespeare, theatre, or storytelling, these two voices are shaping the conversation in bold new ways. How do you see Shakespeare evolving today? Share this post and continue the conversation beyond the stage.