Play the Knave
Northwestern University Alice Kaplan
Institute for the Humanities
Play the Knave: An Interactive
Shakespeare Video Game

Play the Knave is a highly interactive digital game that gives everyone a chance to design, direct and act in scenes from Shakespeare’s plays, karaoke–style. But this is no ordinary karaoke. A motion–capture camera maps each player’s movements onto a 3D avatar that mirrors their gestures. Players receive a free video of their digital performance to edit or share with others. Play the Knave engages its users in the material labor of dramatic production, helping them understand and enjoy a Shakespeare play through the act of staging it. All ages are invited to play. Following the installation, Professor Bloom will give a talk on the game’s uses as a pedagogical tool and will answer questions, moderated by Elizabeth Hunter, doctoral candidate in the Interdisciplinary PhD in Theatre & Drama.