Over the past 200 years, theatre has often been a lightning rod for social and political upheaval in the United States. Even the plays of William Shakespeare have been the subject of violent debate. This surprising history is examined in two recent books by James Shapiro: Shakespeare in a Divided America and The Playbook.Also, we explore Bangarra Dance Theatre's first mainstage cross-cultural collaboration, Horizon. Horizon includes work choreographed by Deborah Brown, a descendent of the Wakaid Clan and Meriam people in the Torres Strait, with Moss Te Ururangi Patterson, of the Māori Ngāti Tūwharetoa tribe in Aotearoa and the artistic director of the New Zealand Dance Company.