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Shakespeare & Beyond

Shakespeare & Beyond

The Shakespeare & Beyond blog features a wide range of Shakespeare-related topics: the early modern period in which he lived, the ways his plays have been interpreted and staged over the past four centuries, the enduring power of his characters and language, and more.

"Excrements of the earth": Mushrooms in early modern England
Illustration of mushrooms in a Czech herbal
Shakespeare and Beyond

"Excrements of the earth": Mushrooms in early modern England

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Author
Michael Walkden

Attitudes towards mushrooms in Shakespeare’s England reveal deeply held cultural anxieties about groups perceived as threats to the social fabric.

What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in August
Shakespeare and Beyond

What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in August

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Author
Ben Lauer

Every month, we check in with our theater partners to find out what’s onstage. Here’s what’s happening at Shakespeare theaters in August.

Love's Labor's Lost and screwball comedy
Love's Labor's Lost
Shakespeare and Beyond

Love's Labor's Lost and screwball comedy

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Author
Caitlin Peartree

The witty, fast-paced dialogue at the heart of the battle of the sexes in Love’s Labor’s Lost is straight out of a golden-age screwball comedy film.

Shakespeare and opera: Verdi, Rossini, and other composers inspired by the plays
Shakespeare and Beyond

Shakespeare and opera: Verdi, Rossini, and other composers inspired by the plays

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Author
David Ward

Shakespeare and opera is a winning combination, with the plays providing compelling dramatic material and a ‘name’ that would help sell tickets.

Quiz: In Praise of Shakespeare
Shakespeare and Beyond

Quiz: In Praise of Shakespeare

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Author
Shakespeare & Beyond

The Folger Shakespeare Library building is filled (inside and outside) with inscriptions of quotations by famous writers praising Shakespeare. See if you can successfully fill in the blanks for these quotes

Johnny Cash's Shakespeare
Johnny Cash performing
Shakespeare and Beyond

Johnny Cash's Shakespeare

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Author
Ben Lauer

The Folger’s collection includes a miniature set of Shakespeare’s plays that belonged to the Man in Black himself.

Summer Shakespeare memories: Picnics, thunderstorms, and wildlife interruptions
Shakespeare and Beyond

Summer Shakespeare memories: Picnics, thunderstorms, and wildlife interruptions

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Author
Shakespeare & Beyond

We asked our Twitter followers to share their favorite stories from outdoor Shakespeare performances: incredible actors, unexpected animal visitors, dramatic weather events, and more. Tell us your story using #SummerShakesMemories. https://twitter.com/Zorrah/status/1144605770702442496 https://twitter.com/NateMetcalf/status/1154529272117071873 https://twitter.com/jaybaltz/status/1145838297803087872 https://twitter.com/ERLathrop/status/1143612005577822208 https://twitter.com/AlexJArmstrong/status/1146132142868578304 https://twitter.com/GoodTickleBrain/status/1146021764276871168 https://twitter.com/michaelmc_hugh/status/1144529821114019841 https://twitter.com/MysticCindi/status/1144474064397848581 https://twitter.com/xmacdonald/status/1152337120117366784

Can you feel the Shakespeare love tonight?
The Lion King
Shakespeare and Beyond

Can you feel the Shakespeare love tonight?

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Author
Austin Tichenor

In many ways Simba resembles Prince Hal more than Hamlet, in that he’s also a headstrong prince who disobeys his father but ultimately learns to accept responsibility and claim his throne.

Richard III: Taffety Punk's Bootleg Shakespeare
Shakespeare and Beyond

Richard III: Taffety Punk's Bootleg Shakespeare

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Author
Shakespeare & Beyond

Kimberly Gilbert as Richard III. Photo by Brittany Diliberto. Bootleg Shakespeare is not your typical night at the theater: The actors show up on the day of the performance with only their lines memorized; after a few hours of rehearsals,…

Frederick Douglass, A Shakespearean in Washington
Frederick Douglass portrait
Shakespeare and Beyond

Frederick Douglass, A Shakespearean in Washington

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Author
John Muller

Douglass frequently alluded to Shakespeare in his oratory and was known to attend performances of Shakespeare at local Washington theatres.

What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in July
Shakespeare and Beyond

What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in July

Posted
Author
Ben Lauer

Every month, we check in with our theater partners to find out what’s onstage. Here’s what’s happening at Shakespeare theaters in July.

Play On Shakespeare: Reflections from the translation project's festival of staged readings
Play On festival opening
Shakespeare and Beyond

Play On Shakespeare: Reflections from the translation project's festival of staged readings

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Author
Lue Morgan Douthit

Play On Executive Director Lue Douthit gives remarks before the festival’s first staged reading: The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Lue Morgan Douthit first wrote about the Play on! project (of which she is the executive director) on the Shakespeare &…

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