THE SYT LAB: James Joyce’s Shakespeare: a staged reading

November 24, 2025 @ 7 PM | AT THE James S. and John L. Knight Theater, LOCATED WITHIN the playwrights’ center’S NEW HOME in st paul

“He proves by algebra that Hamlet’s grandson is Shakespeare’s grandfather, and that he himself is the ghost of his own father!”

This year's SYT Lab has used as its basis 'Scylla and Charybdis', the ninth chapter of James Joyce's Ulysses, sometimes called the greatest novel of the 20th century. 

In the midst of the book, young writer and intellectual Stephen Dedalus holds court at a literary salon, and offers his theory that within the works of Shakespeare we can find the author's own biography: one of scandal, drama, and intrigue. While Stephen's claims may be historically dubious (he claims that Anne Hathaway cheated on Shakespeare with Shakespeare's brother...), they lead to a fascinating and revealing exploration of how artists use the work of William Shakespeare to create their own autobiography.

Join the SYT Lab for a wholly new staged reading based off Joyce's episode, and be prepared to dive into the deepest, most fundamental reasons as to why humans make art. 

NOTE: This staged-reading will run 90 minutes, with no intermission, and contain mature themes and langauge.

The NEW Playwrights' Center is located at 710 Raymond Ave, St Paul, MN 55114.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!

LOCATION: The Playwrights’ Center is located at: 710 Raymond Ave, St Paul, MN 55114. NOTE: the Playwrights’ Center has MOVED: it is NO LONGER in Minneapolis.

ACCESS: The Playwrights’ Center is an ADA accessible building! There are accessible parking spots in front of the building, and an accessible lift. Wheelchair seating is available in both the front and back of the auditorium; service animals are welcome! For accessibility questions, please contact Accessibility Coordinator Maria at maria@sytmn.org