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The Folger Spotlight

ENCORES: ‘The Human Voice in Struggle’ Poetry Reading (2016)

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Folger ENCORES, red theater seats fading into darkness
Folger ENCORES, red theater seats fading into darkness

Folger Public Programs is pleased to present ENCORES, a weekly online series highlighting past performances and recalling the rich history of programming on the historic Folger stage. As many arts and cultural institutions remain closed during this time, these ENCORES provide a way to connect and revisit the breadth of Folger offerings with a wider audience.

ENCORES presents

O.B. Hardison Poetry Series
The Human Voice in Struggle, February 2016
with William Archila and Reginald Dwayne Betts
Co-sponsored with Letras Latinas, the literary initiative at the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Latino Studies

William Archila read

Reginald Dwayne Betts read

  • Elephants in the Fall
  • Countdown to Armageddon

both from Bastards of the Reagan Era, published by Four Way Books, 2015. https://fourwaybooks.com

This reading took place on the set of Folger Theatre’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, designed by Paige Hathaway.

Read the introduction by poet Reginald Dwayne Betts:

Hello and welcome to Folger ENCORES. I am Reginald Dwayne Betts and I read with poet William Archila for a reading entitled The Human Voice in Struggle for the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series at the Folger.

The Folger has launched this new series, ENCORES, that brings plays, music and spoken word from the Folger archives directly to you.

Now you see, in this reading, I give you a little bit of something from my book, Bastards of the Reagan Era, and the poem I want you to really hear is “Elephants in the Fall,’ because during these times we try to stay close to the folks that we love and we try to remember the folks that love us. Now, you are about to see poems from me and William and we hope that you will enjoy watching some of this reading.

If you would like to know more about O.B. Hardison Poetry Series, please visit folger.edu. There you will find information about upcoming readings and so much more. We hope you will join us for these weekly episodes of ENCORES, highlighting all that the Folger has to offer. Now can I get an encore? Thank you for tuning in.

 

Encores LogoCheck back each Friday for a new “from the archives” performance, introduced by some of our favorite artists, showcasing the best of Folger Theatre, Folger Consort, O.B. Hardison Poetry, and lectures.

Folger Theatre

Folger Theatre is the vibrant center piece of the Folger’s public programs. With a focus on Shakespeare, Folger Theatre produces plays reflecting the breadth of the library’s peerless collection. In this unique setting, with collaborations between artists and experts, Folger Theatre produces innovative stagings that have been commended as “breathtakingly original...strikingly contemporary” (The Washington Post). Led since 1991 by Artistic Producer Janet Alexander Griffin, Folger Theatre has received 135 nominations and 23 Helen Hayes Awards for excellence in acting, direction, design, and production. During the recent seasons Folger Theatre has received the Outstanding Resident Play Award for its productions of Measure for Measure in 2007, Hamlet in 2011 and The Taming of the Shrew in 2013. Other highlights from Folger Theatre’s producing history include these Helen Hayes Award recipients or nominees for outstanding production: Romeo and Juliet (2013), Orestes: A Tragic Romp (2010), Henry VIII (2010), Arcadia (2009), Macbeth (2008), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (2006), Melissa Arctic (2006), She Stoops to Conquer (2002), Shakespeare’s R & J (2001), Much Ado About Nothing (1998), and Romeo and Juliet (1997). — View all posts by Folger Theatre