• A Poetic Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday

    This Mon, Jan 21 at 10am, join award-winning poet Marilyn Nelson for a special FREE reading combining poetry with historical speeches from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others.

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  • First Chefs: Fame and Foodways from Britain to the Americas

    Just like today, getting food from farm to table in the early modern British world was hard work. First Chefs tells the stories of the named and unnamed heroes of British and American farms, plantations, kitchens, and markets through historic manuscripts, books, and artifacts. On view through Mar 31.

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  • Explore the Folger with the Miranda Beta

    We’ve just released an update to our Miranda digital asset platform with more items, new features, and an improved navigation. Explore our collections today!

    Miranda Beta

  • Don Hunstein

    Duke Ellington and Such Sweet Thunder

    How did Duke Ellington come to create Such Sweet Thunder, a suite of twelve tunes inspired by the Bard and his characters? Scholar — and musician — Douglas Lanier shares insights about the suite, the second chapter of Ellington’s career, and how they reflect shifting cultural perceptions of jazz.

    Listen Essay

  • What's On This Week at the Folger

    There's lots to do — and much of it's free! Visit and enjoy tours of our landmark building, sneak peeks at Nell Gwynn in rehearsal and our First Chefs exhibition installation, and a screening of the RSC's Troilus and Cressida, with a special offer for federal employees.

    Learn More Troilus and Cressida Offer

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WILL IN THE WORLD

The Pop-Cultural Legacy of Olivier's Richard III

Has any other film of a Shakespeare play left a greater cultural legacy than Laurence Olivier’s Richard III? Austin Tichenor explores why it's inspired so many and been so widely imitated.

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ICONIC MOMENTS

Drawing Shakespeare

Artist Paul Glenshaw takes a close look at Macbeth and the witches as he draws the "toil and trouble" scene from Macbeth depicted in one of the bas-reliefs on the front of the Folger building.

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PICTURING SHAKESPEARE

Five Faces of Shakespeare

One of the many treasures in the Folger collection is a remarkable binding, known as a “Cosway binding,” that includes five miniature versions of works of art that are said to have shown how Shakespeare once looked.

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FROM THE DIRECTOR

Shakespeare is our middle name. We are stewards of a precious resource of world heritage and culture—a living tradition that offers something truly elevating.
Michael Witmore
Folger Shakespeare Library Director
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  • Nell Gwynn: On stage January 29

    An orange seller from the streets of Drury Lane becomes the darling of the Restoration theater—and favorite mistress of Charles II. Jessica Swale's award-winning comedy smash from the U.K. makes its East Coast premiere at the Folger. "Gloriously funny and touching" (Telegraph).

    Tickets & Information

  • Troilus and Cressida screening: January 14

    Virtuoso percussionist Evelyn Glennie collaborates with Royal Shakespeare Company Artistic Director Gregory Doran to create a satirical futuristic vision of a world resounding with the rhythm of battle. "Wonderful. Epic and hugely rewarding" (The Times). Mon., Jan. 14 at 7pm.

    Tickets & Information

  • Romantic Music of the Renaissance: Feb. 8 & 9

    As a prelude to Valentine's Day, Folger Consort performs romantic music from French and Italian Renaissance composers in the gothic splendor of the Washington National Cathedral on Feb. 8 and 9 at 8pm. Featuring celebrated vocal ensemble Les Canards Chantants.

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  • Folger Poetry: Afrofuturism on Feb. 12

    Authors Tananarive Due, N.K. Jemisin, and Airea D. Matthews read fiction and poetry on alternative visions of the future as influenced by jazz, African-American sci-fi, and more in A Cross-Genre Look at Afrofuturism on Tue., Feb. 12.

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  • Confection: March 4 - 24

    The world premiere of an immersive theater piece imagined and performed by New York's Third Rail Projects, highlighting the cost and delight of delicious delicacies. Limited run staged in the Folger Reading Rooms. 

    Tickets & Information

Upcoming at the Folger

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Folger Education

Classroom Resources for Teaching Shakespeare

Folger Education works alongside teachers to develop engaging, effective tools for helping students have successful classroom encounters with Shakespeare and other complex texts.

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