Danes roasted at Harvard University

Claire Danes was left red-faced after she was made to recite a risque monologue when she was named Woman of The Year by Harvard University students on Thursday (26Jan12).

The Romeo + Juliet star was brought on stage and told to repeat a poem, which began with "To be or not to be, an angry lesbian", before accepting her Hasty Pudding prize at the wacky annual event hosted by the Massachusetts university's theater society.

The actress also took part in a dance-off with a student dressed as a virus and hopped into a Bentley convertible with men in drag for a parade across the campus.

Danes admitted she was stunned by the "utterly trippy" experience, insisting, "This is so contrary to what we associate with Harvard."

She later told students, "You should be studying, all of you... This experience will remain forever emblazoned in (sic) my mind."