"Brevity is the soul of wit": Shakespeare for the TikTok teens

Scurvy Companions

When you think of teenagers on TikTok, you probably think of complicated dance trends, new makeup looks, and "Okay, Boomer," but... what about Shakespeare? Today we are joined by Shakespearean TikTok creator Annalyse Lapajenko, known as Al on TikTok.

Al is an actor and Shakespeare enthusiast with 6 years of teaching experience. Their TikTok account, @nofearshakesqueer, brings Shakespeare content to thousands of people daily by inviting audiences to engage with the text in a modern setting. Al creates humorous, trendy, and engaging videos about Shakespeare characters and themes, ranging from outfits to wear on a first date based on your favorite Shakespeare play, to video trailers for Spotify playlists for your favorite characters -- and they've built a community of nearly 35,000 followers doing so.

Here are links they mentioned to their Shakespeare-themed playlists:

Beatrice, Hal and Poins, Helena and Hermia, Lady Macbeth, and Ophelia

Al is interviewed by host Emily Jackoway. To learn more about NoSweatShakespeare, check out our site at nosweatshakespeare.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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