When first-year students arrived at T29 105-106 on March 15, armed with personalized invitations and detective instincts, they entered a Shakespearean whodunit unlike any other. Our Dramatic Words: Theatre and Performance (ENG 3163) students welcomed everyone to a live-action murder mystery, complete with costumes, clues, and plenty of surprises.

Dr. Erin Holliday-Karre was instructing the student actors

Dr. Erin Holliday-Karre led the students to do respiratory training

The Plot

William Shakespeare, convinced one of his characters was plotting against him, enlisted the first-year students to act as detectives. After a suspenseful feast—where characters like Romeo, Juliet, Othello, and Iago revealed their frustrations with the Bard’s rewrites—Shakespeare mysteriously collapsed, leaving the detectives scrambling for clues. Tensions ran high, and it took six rounds of accusations before the surprising culprit was revealed: Emilia from Othello.

The Culprit Emilia – Acted by Huang Xiyuan

Students’ Dramatic and Tensional Performance

The Outcome

Cheers erupted when the winning pair finally named the correct suspect. Their grand prize? Full volumes of Shakespeare’s tragedies translated into Chinese, bridging the timeless world of Elizabethan drama and our diverse academic environment.

This event truly showcased the energy and creativity of our Literary Studies in English concentration. Professors and students came together for an unforgettable day of theatrical performance, teamwork, and critical thinking. ENG3163 students transformed the classroom into a living stage, blending literary analysis with interactive performance—proving there’s more to studying Shakespeare than reading lines on a page.

Interaction with Audience 1

Interaction with Audience 2

Why Join Us?

From murder mysteries to poetry slams from literary magazines to dramatic readings, our department is committed to hands-on, engaging experiences that bring literature to life. Whether you’re new to the program or a seasoned scholar, you’ll find an inclusive community eager to spark your imagination and enhance your appreciation for the written word.

Interaction between Students and Teachers

Student Reflection

“I was not a person who could perform confidently and freely on stage. Through our drama course, I tried to open up and avoid caring about other people's comments and judgements. In the murder mystery event, I played a warrior, a character almost completely opposite to my own personality. To play this role well, I decided to push myself out of my comfort zone and do my "job" well. Some of my classmates acted astonishingly well. We learned from each other and  provided suggestions on improvement, which really helped us to polish our performance.

We had a lot of fun during the event, and it made me feel that LSE (ELLS) is such a loving family!” (Yu Wenqi)

“I played the role of Desdemona in Shakespeare's play Othello in this wonderful, amazing, and incredible event. I would like to thank Erin, Rosy, and each of our members, who spared no effort to contribute to this event. All of us are great!

I am happy and touched by this successful event, not only because of the laughter and good feedback we received from the detectives, i.e. the audience, but also because, through this event, I feel that we have a deeper connection with the characters in the show. I seem to really understand them to a certain extent, and even have some transcendental reflections on them, especially from a feminist perspective, such as Desdemona, Emilia, and Juliet. Therefore, it was also a beneficial experience to help me prepare for our final performance this semester, both in terms of acting abilities and perception of the characters as well as the key ideas of the drama.

In fact, in the days leading up to the event, I couldn't help but worry and doubt whether I could become a perfect Desdemona. Sadly, it was not perfect, but the feelings of surprise replaced my nervousness, trembling, and self-blame for my mistakes. When I sat in my place, I realized that I was Desdemona, no matter if it was similar in appearance, behaving exactly right or not. It was an indescribable feeling, and I did enjoy being Desdemona in her own capacity to share her self-awareness and individual thoughts, although I didn't think I interpreted her very well. That’s enough, isn't it?

Last but not least, thank you again to everyone who participated in this event, and thank you for all of you who love literature.” (Huang Shupei)

Huang Shupei (left) and Yu Wenqi (right)

Group Photo of Teachers and Students after the Activity

Text: Dr. Erin Holliday-Karre (English), Ms. Tang Yuwei (Chinese)

Photography: Ms. Xu Jiachen