Trinity College Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 recently was invited to take part in England’s weeklong Shakespeare Birthday Celebration as its inaugural visiting scholar.
While William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, it wasn’t until 1816 that his birthday was officially celebrated each year in Stratford-Upon-Avon, the poet and playwright’s hometown. The annual event is marked by educational festivities, cultural exchange, commemorative receptions, and rich traditions, including the Shakespeare Birthday Procession that begins at Town Hall; the Shakespeare “Birthday Sermon” delivered at Holy Trinity Church, Shakespeare’s burial site; and an official cutting of Shakespeare’s birthday cake outside of his birthplace in the center of town.
Brown participated in the 2025 events at the invitations of Stratford-Upon-Avon’s 479th mayor, Jason Fojtik; the Stratford town clerk, Caroline Nash; and the head of research at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Rev. Dr. Paul Edmondson.
Fojtik said, “Throughout his time in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Professor David Sterling Brown engaged meaningfully with our institutions, students, artists, and community members. His presence enriched the cultural and intellectual life of our town and challenged us to see Shakespeare not just as heritage, but as a conversation that must include everyone.”
The mayor added that one of the most powerful moments during the visit was observing Brown as he unfurled the U.S. flag during the international flag ceremony. “That act was deeply moving—a striking reminder of the global resonance of Shakespeare’s legacy and the importance of diverse voices in shaping how we commemorate and interpret it today,” Fojtik remarked.
Here, Brown shares his own highlights of the trip and reflects on its many meaningful experiences.
By David Sterling Brown ’06, Associate Professor of English:
The invitations for me to participate in the Shakespeare Birthday Celebration were inspired by two trips I had to Stratford-Upon-Avon in 2024: In February of that year, thanks to a Global Faculty Scholar award from Trinity’s Dean of the Faculty’s Office, I launched my international book tour to promote my first monograph, Shakespeare’s White Others (Cambridge University Press 2023).
On that trip, I went from Cambridge (where I had a reading and book signing at the Cambridge UP bookshop), to Derby (where I led a theater practitioner workshop, based on my book’s theories, in collaboration with artistic director Ben Spiller and their 1623 Theatre Company). I made a final stop in Stratford-Upon-Avon, where I delivered a reading and did a book signing at the town’s public library.
I returned to Stratford-Upon-Avon in July 2024 for the invitation-only International Shakespeare Conference, where I delivered a talk based on my current book-in-progress, Shakespeare Under the Hood (Cambridge UP). Together, those trips across “the Pond” enabled me to establish meaningful connections with many people, with Shakespeare and my scholarship at the center of those bonds. Thus, I was truly delighted when Mayor Fojtik, Town Clerk Caroline Nash and Rev. Dr. Paul Edmondson requested my scholarly presence for the national Shakespeare Birthday Celebration week.
In England, and even in other parts of the world, there is much fanfare around April 23, which is understood as the date of Shakespeare’s birth and his death. As such, it was a huge honor for me to participate actively in England’s national celebration, and to do so with my proud Trinity Bantam parents, Audreta and Kevin Brown, and my former undergraduate Shakespeare professor and former colleague, Milla Cozart Riggio, James J. Goodwin Professor of English, Emerita, joining me for the entire trip.
Sponsored with generous support from Trinity alumnus Paul E. Raether ’68, H’14, P’93, ’96, ’01, Trinity’s Fall 2023 Bicentennial keynote speaker Claudia Rankine’s The Racial Imaginary Institute (TRII), and the Trinity English Department, this honorific trip facilitated my public engagement on an international level. While it is impossible to recount all the details of my trip in this short writeup, I offer here some key, unforgettable highlights from my days abroad in England for the Shakespeare Birthday Celebration.
Tuesday, 22 April:
After a lovely welcome gathering for me and my parents hosted by Edmondson at his home—a gathering that included prolific English Shakespeare scholar Sir Stanley Wells—I attended the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) innovative Much Ado About Nothing Press Night performance as Fojtik’s guest. This theater opportunity, which included a post-show reception at the RSC’s creative hub called The Other Place, allowed me to interface with actors from the Much Ado production as well as RSC Trustees, like Geoff Barton, and members of the public. It was amazing to see such a diverse group of people convene around Shakespeare and theater; a great sense of joy and positivity filled the air.
Wednesday, 23 April (Shakespeare’s Birthday):
Accompanied by my parents, I had a productive business meeting with Rachael North, the new CEO of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT), and Edmondson. North has a remarkable, inclusive vision for SBT’s future; so, I was grateful for the opportunity to meet her and discuss my brand of Shakespeare scholarship. Our encounter was a wonderful opportunity to lay groundwork for potential future collaboration that would be beneficial to Trinity and my students.
After this meeting, Edmondson and I filmed at Harvard House (built in 1596) a brief conversation during which we discussed Shakespeare’s influence in my life and my affinity for Stratford-Upon-Avon. Edmondson inquired about why I keep returning to Stratford, as I visited three times in nearly one year. In short, my answer went something like this: I come for the Shakespeare and I stay for the people, as I always find it enriching to engage with local folks about Shakespeare and non-Shakespeare matters.
Following the interview, and at the mayor’s request, I had an opportunity to meet and spend time with the Czech Ambassador for the U.K., Marie Chatardová, and her husband Benoit Chatard. With Edmondson, my parents, the mayor, Riggio, Chatardová, and her husband, I observed the official cutting of Shakespeare’s birthday cake and I listened to a profoundly moving speech from Fojtik. We then took a tour of Shakespeare’s Birthplace that concluded with an impromptu Shakespeare reading by local actors.
Thursday, 24 April:
With Edmondson as our guide, my parents, Riggio, and I had a special tour of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage (built in 1463), which is where Shakespeare’s wife lived as a child. We explored the beautiful grounds, walked through the cottage and learned about its history, and concluded the visit with lunch and a brief visit to a church Edmondson attends.
That afternoon, thanks to the Trinity English Department, I hosted a private Shakespeare’s White Others reception at Café Cocktail, a local family-owned business. At the reception, there were 35 attendees, including my parents, Riggio, the mayor, Edmondson, North, Wells, my favorite Stratford-Upon-Avon nail tech, Jo, and her partner, Russell, as well as some of my Shakespeare colleagues like Drs. Tiffany Stern and Erin Sullivan and Will Sharpe, the latter two being partners who brought their young daughter with them. When I visited town in 2024, their daughter gave me a special rock that she colored just for me. And so, on this trip, I brought that rock with me and returned the favor, giving her a colorful little stone I found at my favorite quirky Stratford-Upon-Avon gift shop called For Something Different.
Thanks to Raether’s generous sponsorship of my trip, I gifted signed copies of my book to my invited Café Cocktail guests. The books were purchased with funds donated by Raether, and by the trip’s end, I had given away 80 signed copies of my monograph to interested parties so they could learn more about Shakespeare and race through my critical methodology. At this reception, again with many thanks to Raether, I also donated to Stratford-Upon-Avon a pair of Meta Quest 3 virtual-reality goggles that will enable public engagement with virtual-reality projects such as my Shakespeare art gallery exhibition that visually complements Shakespeare’s White Others.
Friday, 25 April:
I attended a public one-day conference, “Performing Shakespeare’s Women,” organized by SBT. This was an exciting and enlightening opportunity for all to hear from women Shakespeareans such as Professor Carol Rutter; actors Mariah Gale, Alexandra Gilbreath, Amber James, and Lucy Phelps; and playwright Olivia Negrean. The conference concluded with the Shakespeare Birthday Lecture delivered by Dame Harriet Walter in conversation with Edmondson. At this event, I interfaced with most of the invited conference speakers and I gave them all signed copies of my book, in addition to the complementary tote bags provided by Cambridge UP for my trip.
Saturday, 26 April:
I represented the United States in the famed Shakespeare Birthday Procession. I had the great responsibility of unfurling the U.S. flag. As myriad people looked on and cheered, including my parents and Riggio, we processed through the streets of Stratford and made our way to Holy Trinity Church to pay our respects to the late William Shakespeare. While heading to the church entrance, I had the honor of walking alongside Wells and Edmondson. We made our way through Holy Trinity Church and handed off flowers and a wreath to be laid on Shakespeare’s grave, a procession custom.
Next, I attended the rather lavish Shakespeare Birthday Reception at Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall. This was a unique, invitation-only opportunity to interact with more Stratford-Upon-Avon community members and hear their firsthand accounts of why this important celebration matters to them and the town. It is all undoubtedly a remarkable affair.
The afternoon ended with a lunch hosted by Edmondson: I dined with him and Rev. Patrick Taylor, the vicar who oversees Holy Trinity Church, his wife Laura, and Andrew Graystone, the guest preacher of Sunday’s Birthday Celebration “Shakespeare Sermon.” In the evening, my parents, Riggio, Edmondson, Wells, and I attended the Royal Shakespeare Company’s dynamic performance of Shakespeare’s first and goriest tragedy, Titus Andronicus (circa 1590), starring Simon Russell Beale. Seeing this performance was especially meaningful, for Titus is the play that Riggio used to draw me into Shakespeare when I was a Trinity undergrad. Titus is also the play I have published the most scholarship on to date; in fact, I positioned Titus as Chapter 1 in Shakespeare’s White Others as a tribute to the play’s influence on my education and in my life and career.
Sunday, 27 April:
This was, for me, the most important day of the trip because I got to perform at Town Hall, so to speak. In the morning, I joined a reception at Stratford-Upon-Avon’s Parish Centre and then I went to an incredibly lively, eclectic, and moving Sunday service at Holy Trinity Church with my parents and Riggio. But that’s not all. Thanks again to Raether’s generosity, Trinity College President Emeritus James F. Jones and his wife Jan, whom I have known since 2004, flew to England and met us at Holy Trinity Church. They stayed with us until the final moment of the Birthday Celebration week, which concluded with a speech I delivered at Town Hall about Shakespeare and what his work means to me.
Interestingly, I learned during my trip that noted Shakespeareans—such as Ira Aldridge and Paul Robeson—have delivered past orations at Stratford’s Town Hall. Thus, it was an honor to join their ranks. Accompanied by my parents and Riggio, my time in Stratford ended on this day with a dinner held in my honor and hosted by Wells and Edmondson, who jointly gifted me a 1934 copy of Titus Andronicus from Sir Stanley’s personal collection. The book is a memento I will cherish forever, as Titus is hands down my favorite Shakespeare play (no “hand” pun intended, if you know the play)!
Indeed, it was an honor and a privilege to be named inaugural visiting scholar and to be included in the Shakespeare Birthday Celebration festivities in such important, meaningful ways. Ultimately, my Shakespeare Birthday Celebration trip served as a reminder of the importance of community and collaboration.
Without Raether, Rankine/TRII and the English Department investing in my trip—and without the support of so many others along the way, including my Cambridge UP editor Emily Hockley and the Press’ Marketing Executive Emma Goff-Leggett, who created Shakespeare’s White Others swag i.e., tote bags and caps, for me to distribute—this trip would not have been possible, certainly not in all the many remarkable ways it played out. To all who made this trip happen and to all with whom I interacted, I am so grateful.
In the words of Shakespeare’s Sebastian from Twelfth Night, I conclude here with “thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks!”
Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 at Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebration
Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 at Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebration
Kevin Brown, Rev. Dr. Paul Edmondson, Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06, Audreta Brown, and Milla Cozart Riggio, James J. Goodwin Professor of English, Emerita, at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. Photo courtesy of David Sterling Brown.
Trinity College Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 took part in England’s weeklong Shakespeare Birthday Celebration as its inaugural visiting scholar. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
A William Shakespeare impersonator at the Shakespeare Birthday Procession. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
A crowd watches the Shakespeare Birthday Procession on Chapel Street in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Rev. Dr. Paul Edmondson and Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 in the Shakespeare Birthday Procession. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 with his parents, Audreta Brown and Kevin Brown. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
The Shakespeare Birthday Celebration Procession on the streets of Stratford-Upon-Avon. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 walks in the Shakespeare Birthday Celebration Procession. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 in front of the USA flag pole during the Shakespeare Birthday Celebration Procession. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Rev. Dr. Paul Edmondson and Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 carrying flowers in the Shakespeare Birthday Celebration Procession on the way to Holy Trinity Church. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Luke Purser, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust director of development, and Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 en route to Holy Trinity Church. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 en route to Holy Trinity Church. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06, Sir Stanley Wells, and Rev. Dr. Paul Edmundson walking through Holy Trinity Church to visit Shakespeare’s grave. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Sir Stanley Wells and Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 walking the grounds of Holy Trinity Church after delivering flowers and a wreath to be laid on Shakespeare’s grave. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 and fellow Shakespearean Dr. Will Sharpe. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 and Milla Cozart Riggio, James J. Goodwin Professor of English, Emerita, outside of Holy Trinity Church. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 with his parents, Audreta Brown and Kevin Brown, heading to Holy Trinity Church for Sunday Service. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Rachael North, CEO of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, at the Holy Trinity Church Sunday Service. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 at the Holy Trinity Church Sunday Service. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 delivering his speech about Shakespeare at Stratford-Upon-Avon Town Hall. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Trinity College President Emeritus James F. Jones; Milla Cozart Riggio, James J. Goodwin Professor of English, Emerita; Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06; and Jan Jones at Holy Trinity Church after the Sunday Service. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 at Holy Trinity Church in front of Shakespeare’s grave. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 with the bust of Shakespeare at Stratford-Upon-Avon Town Hall. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
Mayor Jason Fojtik and Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
After delivering his speech about Shakespeare, Associate Professor of English David Sterling Brown ’06 signs a copy of Shakespeare’s White Others for a member of the audience. Photo by Jeff Land Photography.
