The International Shaw Society’s Summer Symposium will convene in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ONT, July 19-21, 2024. Because the conference in Dublin – “Bernard Shaw’s Ireland,” June 5-7 – will serve as a primary site of Shaw scholarship this year, the Symposium will take on a new format encouraging participants to engage deeply and collaboratively with two plays staged this summer, Candida and My Fair Lady. This format makes ample time for different forms of attention to the plays: 

* a seminar-style session on published Candida scholarship
discussions with cast members;
* a talk with Associate Artistic Director and My Fair Lady co-director Kimberley Rampersad;
time to play and discuss ensemble member Travis Seeto’s game The Roll of Shaw;
* a pecha kucha-style session of short presentations on in-progress scholarship and artistic work;
a structured, ISS-led, open-to-the public discussion of Pygmalion and My Fair Lady at the NOTL public library.
The ISS officers and the Shaw Festival Education team believe this will be an exciting and exceptionally rewarding experience for all involved. Scholars whose institutions require them to deliver a formal paper in order to secure a visa and/or funding should contact ISS Vice-President Jennifer Buckley as soon as possible.

Please recall that registration is FREE for ISS members.

Here is the draft schedule:

FRIDAY 7/19

2 pm: My Fair Lady performance

5 pm: open-to-the-public discussion of Shaw, Pygmalion, and My Fair Lady at the NOTL library

8 pm: The House That Will Not Stand or Shaw Variety Show performance (optional)

SATURDAY 7/20

9 am: morning refreshments

9:30 am: discussion of My Fair Lady production, including co-director Kimberly Rampersad

11:30 am box lunch

2 pm: The Roll of Shaw and discussion with Travis Seetoo

4:30 pm: seminar-style discussion of Candida scholarship published during the last 10 years, and recent productions that participants have seen or worked on. Readings will be pre-circulated.

8 pm: Candida performance

SUNDAY 7/21

9 am: refreshments

9:30 am: discussion of Candida production with cast members 

lunch on your own

2 pm: Shaw scholarship pecha kucha session (very short, pithy presentations of work in progress or ideas for new projects, with the emphasis placed on the implications for Shaw studies)

4 pm: Business meeting

5:30 pm: President’s reception