The Shakespeare Requirement

In Julie Schumacher's uproarious sequel, "The Shakespeare Requirement," English professor Jason Fitger finds himself navigating the tumultuous waters of academic administration as the newly appointed chair of Payne University's beleaguered English Department. His tenure is immediately beset by a storm of personal and institutional crises. Fitger's ex-wife is intimately involved with the dean, complicating every departmental initiative. The formidable secretary, Fran, holds the real power and many secrets, all while managing an ever-growing menagerie of rescue animals. Meanwhile, the lavishly funded Economics Department aggressively encroaches on English's dwindling resources and office space. Fitger's desperate attempt to nudge an archaic Shakespeare scholar into retirement backfires spectacularly, leading to a public relations nightmare where the media accuses the department of discarding the Bard. As Fitger struggles against a sea of outrageous fortunes and absurd bureaucratic hurdles, Schumacher masterfully skewers the eccentricities and politics of contemporary higher education with sharp wit and hilarious precision.