BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University's College of Arts and Sciences, Department of English, Department of Theatre and Dance, Hayes School of Music and University Forum Lecture Series are pleased to host a visit by actor and playwright Keith Hamilton Cobb from February 3 through 5, 2025.
Originally from Tarrytown, New York, Cobb is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a B.F.A. in acting. His award-winning play, American Moor (published by Methuen Drama), ran off-Broadway at Cherry Lane Theatre in the fall of 2019. It is the recipient of an Elliot Norton Award, an AUDELCO Award, two IRNE Awards, a 2022 Cleveland Critics Circle Award and is part of the permanent collection of the Folger Shakespeare Library.
Cobb is the director of Project Untitled, a company evolving socially just processes of analysis and inquiry at the intersection of humanities education and theater-making, and The Untitled Othello Project, currently in residence at Sacred Heart University, which operates as an extended "interrogation and rehearsal with artists and educators" of Shakespeare's play, Othello, disrupting antiquated ideas of its purpose and value.
In addition to his work as director and administrator, Cobb speaks at academic institutions around the country on the topic of the intersection of race and Shakespeare, particularly as it is reflected in American Moor, and in The Untitled Othello Project. Appalachian State is honored to host Cobb as he participates in courses, leads workshops and delivers two public talks on the Boone campus.
"I had the fortune of working with Keith Hamilton Cobb as a guest artist in 2022 at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. His bravery, integrity, and ideas about storytelling profoundly impacted my students and colleagues and I want App State to enjoy the same experience," shared Elizabeth C. Parks, an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance and a co-organizer of the visit. "Keith tackles some of the most studied literature on the planet (Shakespeare), but what he brings to Shakespeare, art and storytelling are new ways of thinking. He aims to revolutionize what stories we tell and how we tell those stories."
Cobb's first public event, "How To Be A Working Artist," will take place on Monday, February 3, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in I.G. Greer Hall Room 111. Through the lens of an artist, Cobb will discuss the purpose of the artist in our society. "I hope it's less talk and more conversation," shared Cobb.
The visit will culminate with a public lecture titled "Untitled: Seeing Things As We Are" on Wednesday, February 5, from 5-6:30 p.m. in the Valborg Theatre, located at 480 Howard Street in Boone. The talk will examine how the age of social media has reshaped the nature of our humanity, mostly without our awareness or permission, and not for the better. Cobb will share ways how we can reclaim our creative agency, or at least recognize that we've lost it and why.
Supported in part by the College of Arts and Sciences' Student and Faculty Excellence Fund, the S.A.F.E. Grant, and the Billy and Del Hunt Helton Faculty Excellence Fund, both talks are free and open to the public. For a disability accommodation, visit odr.appstate.edu.
Questions can be directed to either Elizabeth Parks in Theatre and Dance at 828-262-7779 or Dr. Susan C. Staub, professor in App State's Department of English and co-organizer of the visit, by email at staubsc@appstate.edu or by phone at (828) 262-2335.
Photos provided by Keith Hamilton Cobb
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About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and locations. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,800 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at cas.appstate.edu.
About the College of Fine and Applied Arts
Appalachian State University's College of Fine and Applied Arts is a dynamic and innovative group of seven academic departments, bringing together a variety of perspectives, experiences, and real-world education to provide unique opportunities for student success. The college has more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its departments are Applied Design, Art, Communication, Military Science and Leadership, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and Theatre and Dance. Learn more at https://cfaa.appstate.edu.
About the Department of English
The Department of English at Appalachian State University is committed to outstanding work in the classroom, the support and mentorship of students, and a dynamic engagement with culture, history, language, theory and literature. The department offers master’s degrees in English and rhetoric and composition, as well as undergraduate degrees in literary studies, film studies, creative writing, professional writing and English education. Learn more at english.appstate.edu.
About the Hayes School of Music
The Hayes School of Music prepares young musicians for professional lives as performers, composers, music educators, music therapists, conductors and music industry professionals, ensuring the next generation of musical leadership for the state, region and nation. Noted for quality instruction by national and internationally recognized faculty musicians, the school offers four undergraduate degree programs and three graduate-level programs. Learn more at music.appstate.edu.
About the Department of Theatre and Dance
One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Theatre and Dance's mission is to facilitate transformative experiences for students and the public, which cultivate compassionate, creative, and collaborative communities through theatre and dance. The department also offers coursework for integrated learning through the arts to the general university student population. Its dynamic co-curricular production program provides exemplary theatre and dance experiences to departmental students, the university community, and the region. Learn more at theatreanddance.appstate.edu.
About the University Forum Lecture Series
The University Forum Lecture Series brings nationally prominent speakers to campus. Their views enliven campus dialogue on a variety of issues. Past speakers have included activist Gloria Steinem, conservationist Terry Tempest Williams, presidential historian Harold Holzer, CNN correspondent Peter Bergen and award-winning science journalist Carl Zimmer. Learn more at universityforum.appstate.edu.
Keith Hamilton Cobb 2
Keith Hamilton Cobb 2