All the World’s a Stage!

Let’s Learn About Shakespeare!

Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream are just a few plays penned by William Shakespeare. He wrote 39 plays exploring recurring themes like love, power, revenge, identity, and the conflict between fate and free will. As the centuries passed, people in each era have found something fresh and new in his writing, and Shakespeare’s plays have been subject to centuries of performances, reinterpretations, and adaptations — from symphonies, to movies, and even to video games. More than just historical artifacts, Shakespeare’s plays remain living works that continue to inspire. Join actor, director, and UMS artist facilitator Will Bryson to explore the playwright’s history and lasting impact.

Explore the accompanying slides and worksheets to learn more about Shakespeare.

Meet the Artist

Will Bryson is from Highland Park, Michigan. He received his MFA in Classical Acting with a concentration in Shakespeare and Jacobean from The Academy for Classical Acting at The George Washington University in Washington DC. Will also received his BFA in Theatre from Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan. He has been an actor in the Detroit Metropolitan Area for nearly 20 years, working with The Purple Rose, Theatre Nova, Detroit Public Theatre, Royal Oak Shakespeare, Shakespeare in Detroit and The Detroit Repertory Theatre, where he is an instructor at their actors workshop.