Joanne T. Dempsey Memorial Lecture: Ayanna Thompson "The Future of Shakespeare, Race, and Performance"

The Department of English welcomed distinguished Shakespeare scholar and theater practitioner Ayanna Thompson, PhD, to the University of San Diego on April 4, 2024, for the biennial Joanne T. Dempsey Memorial Lecture, “The Future of Shakespeare, Race, and Performance” held in the Manchester Hall Auditorium.

In attendance were generous donors Mr. and Mrs. William Dempsey. Bill Dempsey is the brother of the late USD Professor of English, Joanne T. Dempsey, for whom this lecture was created. The biennial lecture series brings renowned scholars of Renaissance drama, literature and culture to the University of San Diego.

Dr. Ayanna Thompson is a Regents Professor of English at Arizona State University and the Director of the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (ACMRS). In 2021, she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Thompson is the author of numerous books, including Blackface (Bloomsbury, 2021), Teaching Shakespeare with Purpose: A Student-Centered Approach, co-authored with Laura Turchi (Arden Bloomsbury, 2016), and Passing Strange: Shakespeare, Race, and Contemporary America (Oxford University Press, 2011). As a supporter of collaborative endeavors, she founded the RaceB4Race symposia and networking series for scholars who specialize in premodern critical race studies. Through this collective, she has received just under $5 million in grant funding to work with numerous colleges, universities and archives to create collaborative programs and events. 

Learn more information about this year’s Dempsey Lecture and past Dempsey lectures.