Where does the name Feast of Crispian come from?

 England’s greatest historical warrior King speaks to his commanders before the Battle of Agincourt in Shakespeare’s Henry the V.

This day is called the Feast of Crispian,
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named…

 Feast of Crispian is a marker to remember the battle and the warriors. Military veterans may know this speech for its coining of the iconic “Band of Brothers”

This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.

 He that shall see this day, and live old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.

 And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.
'Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,  

But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day:
This story shall the good man teach his son;

 And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd; 

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, 

This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

MEET THE DIRECTORS

Nancy Smith-Watson is an actor, a trauma informed somatic bodyworker and co-founder/director of Feast of Crispian. Ms. Smith-Watson has a BA in Drama from the University of Washington and did her professional training at Circle in the Square professional conservatory in New York City, where her teachers included Nikos Psacharopoulos, founding artistic director of Williamstown Theater Festival, and Michael Kahn, artistic director of The Shakespeare Theater in Washington D.C. While working as a professional actress, Ms. Smith-Watson also trained in massage and somatic bodywork therapies. She has 30 years experience as a Hakomi Bodyworker, and is trained in Integrative Somatics from Sensorimotor Psychotherapy developer, Pat Ogden. For seven years, Ms. Smith-Watson taught the Introduction to Somatics at Big Sky Somatic Institute, in Helena, MT. In 2013, she received director training from Shakespeare & Co. and returned home to Milwaukee to launch Feast of Crispian – Shakespeare with Veterans.

Jim Tasse is an actor, director, teacher and a Vietnam Era Veteran, serving in the US Navy as a Hospital Corpsman from 1971-1975. He has performed with many Milwaukee theatre companies including Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, The Milwaukee Rep, Next Act and In Tandem.  He has explored classical texts as a director and teacher and has acted with Milwaukee Shakespeare, The Illinois Shakespeare Festival and The Feast of Crispian. He is currently a Senior Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  He also served as Associate Artistic Director for Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. He trained with UW-M’s Professional Theatre Training Program and Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA.

Bill Watson is an actor, director, and teacher of acting and theatre for four university faculties over 30 years. He is currently an Associate Professor of Theatre at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he was hired in 2005 to create an undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting degree program that he headed for ten years before co-founding and facilitating, training and directing for Feast of Crispian. He has taught Shakespeare text and performance, for over 30 years and has directed and acted professionally in dozens of Shakespeare productions, most recently working for and training with Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, MA. Locally, he has acted with First Stage, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre and In Tandem theaters, and directed for Marquette University, UWM and Feast of Crispian. Bill has also trained in psychotherapeutic skills with Phil Del Prince of the Hakomi Institute. He has a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Washington, a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University.