Shakespeares influence extends beyond written words accompanied by music by the folger consort that is our ensembles if your interested in their music you can find it online tunes and look at what has been created after partnering we could collect shakespeare material for everyone who wants to celebrate. Today were here to celebrate the legacy of the worlds great storyteller and what better way to page to view them with stories . People are celebrating shakespeare all over the globe by willing to bet everyone has a story to tell how they got to know this amazing writer. 400 years ago on this very day april 23rd, 60 and 16 William Shakespeare died the world is much larger and much more connected to davis and 1616 and a lot has happened but we are still talking to shakespeare and for many it feels like he is still in the room. Look around this room he still is. How is that we have more to say about this writer and why is it when we talk about rural lives we have a conversation with him . One reason might be shakespeare is unavoidable the most produced playwright in north america over 90 percent of School Children encounter worked not to mention half of the secondary students on the planet. There are more shakespeare films made in hollywood than United States and u. K. Combined in terms of filmmaking. The characters in the phrases now appear in the dystopian novels of Broadway Musicals if you do a Google Search you will find shakespeare on the banner. For centuries after his death people around the world still having a conversation and lightning seems to strike many times in one place he brought so many gifts to do his job whether she of the motions or use of language to find a pulse in every situation. Because it is in the stories into the lives and experiences. And to empathize those debtor will like us for better or worse. They know of the familiar stories and the beginning of love and sibling rivalry and self destruction still never what you believe bin to be treated as an outsider shakespeare speaks to us because we still struggle with politics, war, and love. Id in the end to understand ourselves and each other. And will only teach us so much and that we need the humanities that inspire them. What better way to celebrate the anniversary bin to bring together people who can talk about the moment they discover this amazing reuter and now it is time to hear their story. Presented the first presenter as associate director of white house public impeachment you might know him better from the film adaptation and dr. Dr. House. What you might not know he shared a special connection to shakespeare from literally the first day he was born. Please join me to welcome him. [applause] is something Everybody Knows we are impulse is the end irrational and 2. 0 we are quick to speak before we speak i love the power of storytelling that shakespeare with the unknowing english teacher that it is thinking to myself nobody thinks like that then i noticed in small quantities that he was born of the 23rd of april that happens to be my birthday and i noticed we share day birthday that it goes to my own actor mind and this was a solid to be a working actor the shakespeare fellow was respected people were still doing his plays. Number two and remember i was only 14. We were allowed to watch in the classroom eudora this is going. The film adaptation that featured a new duty. How is this possible . And that would be totally against the rules. And also that unconditionally i would be an actor and dad around this time i actually did read it and start to understand then fell love with shakespeare to understand the beauty of his words and i grew up in new jersey the early and mid90s. Son to household so light in dignity even the prologue is rich. And some sonnets as a peter major i was totally in love with a whole day in advance screening looking for a few dramas students for a tv special. Of course,. I loved the movie it was so contemporary and excited me even more the endless possibility of storytelling. The mtv interview begins i a told them how i felt it was decipherable. But in tenth grade i had come to understand we gathered around as the segment gets closer. Asking aspiring actors what they think. I was so excited to be so eloquent. How do you feel about shakespeare . And isnt even english. [laughter] he taught me my first lesson in editing several more years go by i am still struggling actor dissatisfied with typecasting and i hear a woman spee, a panel at the Screen Actors Guild and said i decided i would make it that much harder than race or gender was sitting to do with is whether the classically trained if not to break through barriers but to make the gatekeepers as uncomfortable as possible and now here we are. Working than Public Service with the 400th birthday on my own birthday. [laughter] van die with backhand appreciate the coincidence there is only this will matter of how wins i did notice i was born on his birthday but i did not process what that meant we are impulsive and irrational surely i could not also be that i would die of the 23rd of april. [laughter] if i get through today i will vouch for the ability for another 400 years if i lose the saddle be bored to death with melancholy. [applause] not today. Happy birthday were off to a great star. Turning in their early love of music empowers people from across the country to transform their curiosity into a fullfledged career has awarded nearly 220 million in agency grants. [applause] who is there . Those of the first two words in the tragedy of hamlet also the question great literature asks oversells the communities and the world that a large food is there continues to resonate from when hamlet was published through today when i read him let i was in high school and slightly in curve and the character that i grappled with the question who was there for myself and what his home tsb is that i could identify how come the to terms with his own grief near the of loss of my own father at the age of nine. There were few things that were different i was fortunate that id like him my father was not murdered by my local so there was a revenge to face the loss said in a hit home with me to tell them to move on and get over even his own mother tells him seek i noble father in the dust. In the law of the conversation in my classroom was around how difficult it was for hamlet to make a decision before me personally but how grief if not properly processed hamlet is not indecisive he is grieving to be profoundly unfair position hear he is a young man in the problems he has been handed by taking responsibility from the grownups around him if only he took the time he needed to feel bad about his father maybe it wouldnt be such a tragic ending i found a lot of solace to play the piano pretty city started to realize that so many are forms give as powerful ways to express ourselves through linear conversation because if shakespeare had written about the process of ones own grief that i was not the only person and i would also be okay. He would let him pass for word to the dying words that help us to understand the power to take the time to keep stories alive in our hearts. And in this harsh world to tell my story. Thankyou. [applause] spee back not limited to the arts or the humanities look no further they and outer space our next guest will feel right at home here at the folger has said chief scientist studies the geology of the this sandbars and the earth please join me to welcome dr. Alan. [applause] when he wrote to the midsummers night jury i think the mood for shining so bright and wonder shakespeare ever invented a revision to the 27 moons of each of its own little world to the darkened aged cratered surfaces it is right and good to pay homage with the point of light as he has is encapsulated of what it means to be human in 2011 and i sat and a market lead and having an experience in the tempest the program noted it was first performed to in london in 1611 than the thought of that made me stop plate Pay Attention to the play in that very city we have sat to is in theaters laughing at the same lines we are what dreams are made of. I thought it was much relevance as the people that watched it with james the first found to theres. And to make it last for centuries is a gift to shakespeare. With that relevance with the study of our solar system and for billions of years stars and planets and galaxies we come from star dustin we return to it. The steady of astrophysics or astro biology is a complex story of death and drama of the shakespeare told so well for cry get frustrated with scientists to tell the publics the facts and the about the stories behind the science i was an art history minor in college now zero i a promote the scientists and engineers of nasa to read now the who cares . How does this affect my life on this planet . And what is our future . And not only informs us but inspires us to recreate the knowledge and understanding we want to know the point of light in the night sky when we plan to send humans to mars to answer the fundamental question are we alone . Did life evolves beyond earth . Looking at those thousands of planets are they inhabitable all or inhabited . We need to the humanities or design to understand our world shakespeare knew how to tell the story and all that is a part of the story piece by piece for where were going. Booktv to approach these challenges to use our heads and hearts it is more than analyzing data for inspiration to ask the right question and perseverance and heroes and all the things we appreciate that states and the test of time. We must come back to shakespeare to share the story of science with everyone. [applause] even after 400 years shakespeare is ago to for contemporary affairs he still writes the headlines even if not history. Clarence page has built a career about local and National Affairs and recognized for his commentary nationally syndicated columnist and commentator. [applause] i of the words man. That we describe washington the fellow that just introduced me said he told me that for years ago almost all of the political rhetoric comes from the 16th transeventeen century the keans james bible in shakespeares plays and what was more impressive his comedic speech at said dnc even president obama soundalike he did a better job selling the president than the current president he said he needed to of secretary of exploiting stuff. Later said myers observed we have a job for that already. Explain the stuff this is an of big part of the job some do better than others. The simplicity of language is something that president obama and donald trump had been common economic get this far without mentioning the name of donald trump but the Campaign Rally backing and hilton head explains the importance of words i am telling you i used to use the word incompetent now call them stupid to be very highly educated i know the best words no wonder he was intrigued by the language of politics in fact, he took that text and found that clinton relied exclusively on single sobel action oriented words obama would employ a larger latin words from the university of chicago exposure today whitmore said almost all political rhetoric comes from those two blocks political speech i cant get no satisfaction. [laughter] but then what could he rhyme with satisfaction . Early action now that will be stuck given your head all day. Even in our age of rockandroll all the world is the stage with the exit ted entrance in indeed this is true i have found i wonder what would shakespeare say of government shutdowns with the obamacare web site build them . He wrote the script and aristocrats into understand that very different times and places. He might have Speaker Paul Ryan to remind us of hamlet to be or not to be. Some are born great in some with greatness thrust upon them. And my easier to be played on an upright . Donald trump to make in kelly i will speak daggers to curb use space. Root them my in my speech and i like this place and willingly could waste my time in it. [laughter] or ted cruz or my good friend that brevity is the soul of wit. And there is the method whatever happens with Politics Today it who wrote the script. [applause] looking for those words and when shakespeare was said highschool a senior at the multicultural highschool here in washington d. C. From the High School Fellows program and a member of the green. [applause] today i will speak to you about my shakespeares story and how it is relevant to todays era. It beginning in ninth grade i recently arrived in the caribbean when i was 11 years old i didnt know any english to keep up with my a classmates in the into years even more advanced from the United States students when i became a ninth grader i would read macbeths and i was so intrigued of how much had changed in so many years but i would keep reading shakespeare so i kept reading macbeth i came out of my shell i started to speak to other students about the we were learning together in learning words and feelings then reread julius caesar. And then in my 11th grade your and then we also read this on a. And it was amazing to use say the least. And how shakespeare was relevant to Todays Society meanwhile in my a 12th grade english class you were reading a fellow. Then we watched it in the spring in rehab a workshop if your girlfriend or boyfriend was not being loyal to you this letter is answered from my classmates from their own life and this is what happened with his friend instead of his mother he is still relevant today because he talks about what makes us human in relationships to others and who we rely space. Shakespeare would still remain relevant and 400 years and the story would always be relevant. [applause] now we started the next discussion what does that mean to be human . Latrobe our next presenter to dedicate his life to humanities as a combat infantry advisor he came face to face with critical questions from poets and philosophers have been struggling with for generations. William adams spent his career fostering a love afloat love of learning serving as the president of Bucknell University and is now the chairman. [applause] this is a story of the sociological and existential significance of key nuclear. Of what is called the great works and every student in stamford to pass through with the baccalaureate degree. And then we read shakespeare of play that was a pleasure to teach and i was dealing with students between the ages of 80 and 22 and then rather naturally to the place that they do indeed deeply dysfunctional family in particular and call of those relationships at the end of my time and at stanford ironically i was invited to participate in this seminar to people from notforprofit organizations including the number of chief executives in california and beyond. With the organization but as the co someones whose personality to be the king of his kingdom even though that is a background consideration that is fascinating to follow them that one of those profound dimensions that for most of the day spending time giving people orders and is that a complete loss how to live with others and then essentially on the abandonment of that persona but then he cannot. As he does lodges himself from that context he finds himself know where in the sea and i am a fool in your nothing in those around at every turn is rebuffed tradespeople badly put the fools and the stock and leader could no wonder no longer cope with the world so this is about what happens to move people in great positions of authority when they enter other domains of life and how difficult it is to lose that sense of self that is given to us by positions of authority. I thought this was an interesting reading of the play that helped me to understand what shakespeare was doing but i didnt really understand it until years later when i had the opportunity to take on positions of significant responsibility and for me one of the most difficult aspects of that was coming home at night after being at the office all day to walk in the front door to sit down at the dinner table with my wife and two young children. Wonderful moment when leader with his entourage and oz walled says something insulting and he says do you know, who i am . He says yes. You are my ladys father and he goes into our rage that is repeated numerous times as he feels divested of the meaning of the world that was his in that context so here i am at the dinner table with my two children wanting to say do you know, who i am . [laughter] it was so eliminating to me to understand how shakespeare eliminates us to give us perspective through these wonderful play is that show us who we are in these ways. Thank you very much. [applause] serving as chancellor of the d. C. Public School System since 2010 under her leadership it has become the Fastest Improving Urban School District in the country she accomplish this through an intense focus on improving teacher quality and actively engaging students and families focusing creating programs that benefit all students please join me to welcome ms. Henderson. [applause] like most Highschool Students i had a pretty casual relationship with shakespeare growing up but tolerated plays like romeo in and juliet i plodded through sonnets vaguely understanding any of big pentameter but then i read of fellow and i fell in love the murder and the intrigue and this scoundrel and the gorgeous characters it was the best of great storytelling but even more than that the first time i have encountered the main character who was a person of color in such a significant and historical work i was surprised but more importantly i was affirmed it showed me that people who looked like we were in important part of the world story William Shakespeare help to validate my place in history. The play challenged me i was struck by how despised he was and i cannot understand what he had done that deserved of the treasury he seemed to lead the guilty of extorting in the world stacked against him he was the man personally a professionally rising to the ranks through for bernie he took the top spot and got the girl good stuff. But is unlikely success set the stage for jealousy fuelled murders but that made me love him even more because he show this little black girl even in a hostile world people like me could excel not only that we have been doing it through history for hundreds of years in in my current role i have the pleasure and honor to share that lesson with a 50,000 students of d. C. Public schools so my students and i huge zero huge debt to the board banks for showing us who we could