SOU’s Kaiser releases book on Shakespeare’s canon
Scott Kaiser, who regularly teaches and directs in Southern Oregon University’s Theatre program, has released his 24th book – “Conquering the Canon: A Life in Shakespeare.” The book chronicles his work in the production of all 38 of Shakespeare’s plays.
Kaiser served for 18 seasons as the head of voice and text at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, coaching actors in almost 100 productions. He served more than 10 additional years at OSF as director of company development, traveling the U.S. to recruit emerging acting talent and overseeing the festival’s Acting Company Trainee Program – which helped place SOU students in the company’s productions.
His new book draws on Kaiser’s work at OSF – “thousands of rehearsal hours, hundreds of productions and a lifetime of hard-won lessons,” says a summary on Amazon.com, where the 514-page paperback is available.
“Blending behind-the-scenes stories with scholarly insights, ‘Conquering the Canon’ is part memoir, part masterclass, capturing the devotion, skill and stamina required to bring the Bard to life onstage,” the Amazon description says.
Kaiser earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, his master of fine arts degree in the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program and an advanced diploma in voice studies from London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
His career has included work as an author, playwright, director, teacher and Shakespeare scholar. He has taught classes at SOU in acting, voice and playwriting since 2014, directing eight productions: “Arcadia,” “Hay Fever,” “Three Sisters,” “The Philadelphia Story,” “Anton in Show Business,” “Ghosts,” “Twelfth Night” and his own play, “Shakespeare’s Other Women.”
Kaiser’s previous books include “Harriman’s Ghost,” a novel about a movie star and his ghostwriter; “Tales from the Vomitorium,” a collection of stories about theatre people; “Albert’s Adventures in Willy World,” a satire of the Shakespeare industry; “The Tao of Shakespeare: A Book of Meditations;” and “Notes from the Back Row: A Voice and Text Director’s Journal.”
He has also written several original plays, including “Love’s Labor’s Won” and “Falstaff in Love.”
Kaiser is currently at work on another novel.
