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Sam White on Shakespeare in Detroit and A Winter's Tale at IU Theatre

A scene from A Winter's Tale at IU Theatre, directed by Sam White
A scene from A Winter's Tale at IU Theatre, directed by Sam White

Sam White is a Visiting Assistant Professor for the Department of Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance at IU. She is also the director for IU’s latest production of William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, onstage through February 25 th at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre.  

 

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Sam was first introduced to Shakespeare as a punishment by her mother for listening to rap music. It turns out this punishment was actually a blessing in disguise and would help pave the way to a successful directing career in the theatre industry. 

 

Due to her love for both Shakespeare and her hometown’s rich history, Sam was inspired to create the non-profit organization, Shakespeare in Detroit. The company is dedicated to highlighting various historical sites across the Motor City through open-air performances of Shakespeare’s works. 

 

Listen to the full story above.  

Alex Chambers runs WFIU’s arts desk, and produces and hosts WFIU’s Inner States, a weekly podcast and radio show about arts, culture, and ideas from southern Indiana and beyond. He’s the co-creator of How to Survive the Future, a podcast about the present, produced in partnership with Indiana Humanities. He has a PhD in American Studies, with a dissertation called Climate Violence and the Poetics of Refuge, and a book of poems called Bindings: A Preparation, about domestic life and empire. In his spare time, he teaches audio storytelling at the IU Media School. When he’s not in the woods gathering sound, you might see him out for a run on the streets of Bloomington.