Updated 3.3.2014

Getting to Know Wallace Shawn

March-April 2011

The March-April 2011 feature article "Famous Comedian, 'Dangerous' Playwright" profiles Wallace Shawn.

See Shawn in a memorable scene from The Princess Bride (1989), and reading from his 1990 play The Fever:

In this interview with Al Jazeera English, Shawn discusses the dynamics of his family of origin and their influence on his work:

In this interview on the occasion of the Royal Court Theatre's presentation of three of his plays, Shawn discusses whether he considers himself a writer or an actor first:

Click here for the March-April 2011 issue table of contents

Sub topics

Alumni Profiles

Performing & Recorded Arts

Students & Alumni

You might also like

Space shuttle view outside the Earth

This Astronomer is Sounding a Warning on 'Space Junk'

As debris accumulates in low Earth orbit, the danger of destructive collisions continues to rise.

Understanding AI Vulnerabilities

As artificial intelligence capabilities evolve, so too will the tactics used to exploit them.

Cryptocurrencies are forms of digital assets stored on blockchains; image depicts hand holding representation of bitcoin over chain

Crypto—To Regulate or Not?

The former director of Harvard’s fintech lab reflects on the future of digital assets.

Most popular

Capitol building

House Committee Subpoenas Harvard Over Tuition Costs

The University must turn over all requested materials related to tuition and financial aid by mid-July.

A crowd of people shout and march during a nighttime demonstration, while a man and woman in the foreground hold two silver-colored pans above their heads and bang on them with sticks

The Professor Who Quantified Democracy

Erica Chenoweth’s data shows how—and when—authoritarians fall.

John Singleton Copley’s <i>A Boy with a Flying Squirrel,</i> 1765

The Power of Patience

Teaching students the value of deceleration and immersive attention

Explore More From Current Issue

David Leo Rice

David Leo Rice on 'The Berlin Wall'

David Leo Rice explores the strange, unseen forces shaping our world.

a crowd of people dancing in a street

Harvard Squared

Salsa Squared

Latin dancing fills the streets in Harvard Square

Alexander Gardner’s 1868 photo shows federal peace commissioners with Sophie Mousseau, the lone woman at center.

Harvard Summer Reading Picks | 2025

The wealth gap, shamanism, the life of David Nathan, and more