"In a surprising move, the local school board in Hillsborough County, one of Florida’s populous counties within the Miami metropolitan area, has stirred controversy by announcing a ban on reading select works of Shakespeare in their entirety. The decision comes in response to concerns about explicit sexual content within the texts. The school board claims that this action aligns with the recently signed Parental Rights in Education Act, a law aimed at restricting sexual discussions within classrooms unless directly related to established standards, such as health education. The ban notably affects “Romeo and Juliet,” “Macbeth,” and “Hamlet.”

- The River News, Verona, Italy Click here for the full article!

The news of this Florida Shakespeare Ban comes out just days before a group of 23 students, staff, and faculty from UCSB's Theater/Dance Department and their Naked Shakes performance program fly across the world to Verona, Italy to perform in the Verona Shakespeare Fringe Festival. 

This news also comes out just one day before the Department opens the local presentation of the touring production of The Death of Kings, an adaptation of Shakespeare's History Plays encompassing Richard II, Richard III, Henry IV, Henry V (Parts 1, 2 and 3), and more. 

Join us in celebration of Shakespeare and Theater, as we experience together the impact and power of Shakespeare's words, language, and storytelling that transcends time, and roots significance in our contemporary world. Don't miss Irwin Appel's The Death of Kings at the Hatlen Theater August 22-24, free admission! RSVP Here.