On 7th December at 16:00 hours, students from the 3rd and 4th courses of the Department of Western Languages (English Language and Literature Program), particularly those in Prof. Carlson’s class on William Shakespeare, held a performance of selected works of this great poet, playwright and actor in the concert hall of Manas University.  The performance coincided with the 500th anniversary of the death of Shakespeare. Included in the program were readings of a number of Shakespearian Sonnets and excerpts from three of his most well-known tragedies: Hamlet, Julius Caesar, and Romeo and Juliet. As was emphasized by the moderators, Shakespeare can be adapted to any situation and any cultural setting. Therefore, the students ingeniously read Turkish, Russian and Kyrgyz translations of several sonnets and staged the plays in modern settings;  in the case of Romeo and Juliet, the players adapted this tragedy into a Kyrgyz setting that was greatly enjoyed by the audience.  In all the performance was highly successful and received everyone’s praise.