Acclaimed Director Iqbal Khan’s repertoire of radically original, culturally textured productions has established him as an influential figure in the contemporary British theatre scene. With a long list of theatrical productions to his credit, he is bringing that experience to Michigan State University this month where he will speak with students and faculty and present a public lecture, titled “The Creative Process of Directing: From Shakespeare to Opera and Beyond,” on Monday, November 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre as part of the College of Arts & Letters Leading Voices Series.
Khan’s most recent directorial pursuit was an innovative and successful production of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, which ran June 18-October 1at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. That followed a trailblazing, critically acclaimed rendition of Shakespeare’s Othello at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-Upon-Avon, United Kingdom (2015), and Much Ado About Nothing, also for RSC in 2012.
Khan recently collaborated with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in Shakespeare at the Bowl, which combined Shakespearean scenes with music inspired by the plays, performed at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, California. He also will be directing Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra at the RSC, scheduled for March 11-September 7, 2017.
Born in Birmingham, England, to Pakistani immigrant parents, Khan studied at Cambridge University and Imperial College, London, before choosing the theatre as his career. He launched his theatre career as an actor, playing in productions of Othello, The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Soon after, he found his niche in directing and began collaborating with Lecester Haymarket and the National Theatre Studio. His many credits include a diverse range of productions from Shakespeare to the plays of Harold Pinter and Arthur Miller, including some operas.
In addition to his Wharton public talk, Khan will be doing several workshops with students in the Department of Theatre, MFA Collaboration Studio, and visiting classes in the Department of English.
On Thursday, November 17, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Wells Hall, B310, Khan will present another talk, “The Creative Art of Directing: Conversations with the Director, Iqbal Khan,” sponsored by the Department of English. All MSU students and faculty are welcome.
For tickets to the November 14 lecture, see the Wharton Center website. MSU students, faculty and staff are free with an MSU ID. This offer is available only at the ticket office, and there is a two ticket maximum per MSU ID.
This World View Lecture Series presentation is made possible in part by the MSU Office of the President and presented in partnership with the Wharton Center and the Leading Voices Series of MSU’s College of Arts & Letters. It is generously supported by the Broad College of Business; College of Communication Arts and Sciences; College of Human Medicine; College of Natural Science; Lyman Briggs College; Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives: Project 60/50; Symposium on Science, Reason & Modern Democracy (Political Science); and University Outreach and Engagement. WKAR is the media sponsor.
Khan’s visit to MSU is facilitated by the Departments of English and Theatre (Professor Jyotsna G. Singh and Professor Kirk Domer).
Written by Alexandria Drzazgowski, Professional Writing Major
