Discussion Leaders

Robin Williams and Amy Meilander lead the weekly discussions. They have done a great deal of homework in researching (in specialized dictionaries and sources) almost every word in every line, reading dozens of pertinent articles, scouring a number of books, and digesting all that information so they can guide and inform the discussion.

Robin P. Williams is the author of more than fifty best-selling and award-winning books on design, technology, and the Internet. For many years she has quietly studied the Shakespearean works, including many classes at St. Johns and a summer program at Oxford, and is now working on a number of Shakespeare-inspired books to be published next year. She has held two Shakespearean play readings a month for the past six years, and taught “Discovering Shakespeare” at Santa Fe Community College. Robin recently returned from teaching Shakespeare on the inaugural voyage of Shakespeare at Sea, a unique event that was her brainchild.

Robin spent the night on the Globe Theatre stage in London last year with Mark Rylance (Artistic Director of the Globe, 1995-2005) (and others), and she and Amy sat in the Lords Box (on stage) for several performances at the Globe.

Amy Meilander has a BA in Theatre Arts from Denison University and an MFA in Arts Administration from the University of Iowa. She is currently working toward a dramaturgy degree. Amy has taken a number of Shakespeare classes at St. John's and studied in Oxford and, as mentioned above, sat in the Lords Box at the Globe.

 

Robin and Amy spent a month studying Shakespeare and Marlowe at Oxford University in 2006. During their time in England, they saw twelve different Shakespeare plays performed in Ludlow, Oxford, London, Stratford, and Wilton. They're returning to Oxford this summer to study "Shakespeare's Heroes and Villains." In addition, they're flying to Stratford-upon-Avon to see eight history plays in four days, performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company.