The University of the South is a charter member of the Leadership Consortium with the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Virginia. The partnership brings the ASC to Sewanee with performances and special workshops by the actors in residency.
Meet Kim, L'11
Kim West, Lawyer and Professor | Birmingham, AL
An invitation from her her son to attend one of his poetry classes during his senior year at Sewanee would mean the start of a whole new chapter in Kim's life. She left her son's class inspired, and he encouraged her to apply to the School of Letters.
During her first summer, Kim, a lawyer, met Ann Jennalie Cook Calhoun, her Shakespeare professor and soon-to-be lifelong mentor and friend. "She is one of those professors who changed my life because she introduced me to Shakespeare and performance."
Kim fell in love with Shakespeare, and together with Calhoun, began traveling the world to participate in various Shakespeare events. Merging her love of law with her passion for the literary life, Kim and Ann cooked up a course for Kim to teach at the Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham. Now for the last nine years, using trial scenes from Shakespeare's canon, Kim has been teaching third year law students trial advocacy. "It's all due to Ann and the School of Letters."
Ann passed away in 2017 but Kim's work continues on without her. She has served as a trustee at the American Shakespeare Center for the last six years and is responsible for bringing its touring troupe to both Sewanee and Birmingham. Thanks to Kim, Sewanee is a founding member of a new leadership consortium with the American Shakespeare Center, an endeavor that will engage students and faculty with performances and workshops on campus and at Shakespeare's "American home" in Staunton, Virginia.
"Be prepared for the School of Letters to rock your world. It's been a great joy."
2020 Performances
A Midsummer Night's Dream
The American Shakespeare Center performs A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. Live music by the actors begins at 7:00 p.m. and the performance begins at 7:30 p.m. There will also be a "Talkback" with the actors following the performance.
Imogen
The American Shakespeare Center performs IMOGEN, a renaming of CYMBELINE. Live music by the actors begins at 7:00 p.m. and the performance begins at 7:30 p.m. There will also be a "Talkback" with the actors following the performance.
