Conquering the Canon: A Life in Shakespeare

Completing Shakespeare’s canon—all thirty-eight plays—stands as one of theater’s greatest challenges. Scott Kaiser turned that challenge into a career. Drawing on his three decades at the renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Kaiser chronicles his journey through the canon—spanning thousands of rehearsal hours, hundreds of productions, and a lifetime of hard-won lessons. 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. Read more