The New Oxford Shakespeare Project at IUPUI

Abstract

William Shakespeare is the most influential writer in the English language. Oxford University Press is long established as the most authoritative publisher of critical editions of literary texts. In 1986-7, a team led by Stanley Wells and Gary Taylor produced a groundbreaking new edition of the Complete Works. This was the first edition of Shakespeare ever to publish edited texts of the Complete Works in both modern and original spelling, and to provide a complete discursive textual apparatus. Now, over 25 years later, an inter-generational team of leading scholars, adopting the latest advances in editorial theory and the history of text technologies, is producing a wholly new edition of the plays and poems of William Shakespeare. This edition will be the standard-bearer for future generations of scholars, teachers, readers and performers. Although the New Oxford Shakespeare has an international team of contributors and advisors, its heart and home is in downtown Indianapolis. Additionally, the New Oxford Shakespeare project is the first edition to include an Equity actor, IUPUI English Drama Professor Terri Bourus, among its general editors. Our primary goal at the New Oxford Shakespeare Center is to achieve a global and singular standard of excellence in our research, publications, and dramatic performances. Because our project combines ground-breaking scholarship with high quality public performances of Shakespeare's works, we have a unique opportunity to create a dynamic impact in Indianapolis and its surrounding communities, while simultaneously elevating the visibility and prestige of IUPUI on the worldwide stage.