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All 77 posts by

emma poltrack

has a PhD in English and Comparative Literature Studies (with a focus on contemporary Shakespearean performance) from University of Warwick. She earned her MA in Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon and the Cultural History of Renaissance England at The Shakespeare Institute.
Resource Guide: ‘Hag-Seed’ by Margaret Atwood
Folger Spotlight

Resource Guide: ‘Hag-Seed’ by Margaret Atwood

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emma poltrack

On March 4, 2021 the Folger returns to its Virtual Book Club with ‘Hag-Seed’ by Margaret Atwood. To prepare for the discussion, we have pulled together a list of Folger resources related to this innovative retelling of ‘The Tempest.’

Words, Words, Words: ‘Hag-Seed’ by Margaret Atwood
Folger Spotlight

Words, Words, Words: ‘Hag-Seed’ by Margaret Atwood

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emma poltrack

The Folger’s virtual book club, Words, Words, Words continues on Thursday, March 4 with a discussion of Margaret Atwood’s ‘Hag-Seed.’ To get ready for the conversation, we’ve compiled some introductory information on this innovative retelling of Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest.’

Sips to Savor with ‘The Moor’s Account’
Folger Spotlight

Sips to Savor with ‘The Moor’s Account’

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emma poltrack

To accompany our February 4 discussion of ‘The Moor’s Account’ by Laila Lalami, our friends at DCanter have curated a wine list especially for our conversation.

Resource Guide: ‘The Moor’s Account’ by Laila Lalami
Folger Spotlight

Resource Guide: ‘The Moor’s Account’ by Laila Lalami

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Author
emma poltrack

On February 4, 2021 the Folger returns to its Virtual Book Club with ‘The Moor’s Account’ by Laila Lalami. To prepare for the discussion, we have pulled together a list of Folger resources related to early modern exploration of the…

Recommended Reading: ‘Not Just Another Day Off’
Folger Spotlight

Recommended Reading: ‘Not Just Another Day Off’

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emma poltrack

A curated list of recommended reading related to ‘Not Just Another Day Off,’ our our annual celebration of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. taking place on Monday, January 18, 2021.

Words, Words, Words: ‘The Moor’s Account’
Folger Spotlight

Words, Words, Words: ‘The Moor’s Account’

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Author
emma poltrack

The Folger’s virtual book club returns for 2021 on Thursday, February 4 with a discussion of Laila Lalami’s ‘The Moor’s Account’. To get ready for the conversation, we’ve compiled some introductory information on this Pulitzer Prize-finalist.

Words, Words, Words: ‘Station Eleven’ by Emily St. John Mandel
Folger Spotlight

Words, Words, Words: ‘Station Eleven’ by Emily St. John Mandel

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emma poltrack

Kicking off next Thursday, we will be welcoming friends from all around the world to discuss Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven as part of a new virtual book club. To get ready for the conversation, we’ve compiled some introductory…

Edward Dering and the earliest record of an amateur private performance of a Shakespeare play
The Dering manuscript
Shakespeare and Beyond

Edward Dering and the earliest record of an amateur private performance of a Shakespeare play

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Author
emma poltrack

Recently New York Times theater critic Ben Brantley extolled the virtues of reading plays out loud in your living room as a way to while away the COVID-19 time at home. Memories of his own time reading Hamlet as a…

'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Resource Guide
Folger Spotlight

'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Resource Guide

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emma poltrack

To get you ready for a summer in the Athenian woods, we wanted to share with you a guide to the variety of ways you can explore A Midsummer Nights Dream online before seeing it at the National Building Museum.

Playlist: Windsor Top 20
Folger Spotlight

Playlist: Windsor Top 20

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emma poltrack

Keep the party going beyond the theater with our “Merry Wives”-inspired Spotify playlist, featuring the tunes of the 70s and more.

5 classic TV Shakespeare references from the late 60s and early 70s: The Flintstones, Gilligan's Island, Star Trek, The Brady Bunch, and Happy Days
The Merry Wives of Windsor cast on a Brady Bunch-inspired stage
Shakespeare and Beyond

5 classic TV Shakespeare references from the late 60s and early 70s: The Flintstones, Gilligan's Island, Star Trek, The Brady Bunch, and Happy Days

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emma poltrack

The cast of The Merry Wives of Windsor with a 1970s twist at Folger Theatre. The Brady Bunch-inspired scenic design is by Tony Cisek. (Cameron Whitman Photography) Shakespeare’s influence can be found in many aspects of American culture, from film…

Fat rogue, pampered glutton: Two Falstaffian context clues
From Q0 of 1 Henry IV.
Shakespeare and Beyond

Fat rogue, pampered glutton: Two Falstaffian context clues

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emma poltrack

Early versions of Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part 1 show its immense popularity and point to Falstaff’s origins as the real-life figure Sir John Oldcastle.

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