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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.

Cruel to be kind: Irreverently celebrating Shakespeare's birthday
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
Shakespeare and Beyond

Cruel to be kind: Irreverently celebrating Shakespeare's birthday

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Author
Austin Tichenor

Austin Tichenor of the Reduced Shakespeare Company writes about how “impertinent” riffs on Shakespeare’s work do much to celebrate his legacy.

What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in April
Macbeth at Chicago Shakespeare
Shakespeare and Beyond

What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in April

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Shakespeare & Beyond

Every month, we share a snapshot of Shakespeare in performance around America. What plays are onstage this month? We check in with our theater partners

Excerpt: 'Macbeth' by Jo Nesbø
Shakespeare and Beyond

Excerpt: 'Macbeth' by Jo Nesbø

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Shakespeare & Beyond

Read an excerpt from ‘Macbeth’, Norwegian detective crime novelist Jo Nesbø’s retelling of Shakespeare’s play, from the Hogarth Shakespeare series.

Excerpt: 'Julius Caesar and Me: Exploring Shakespeare’s African Play'
Shakespeare and Beyond

Excerpt: 'Julius Caesar and Me: Exploring Shakespeare’s African Play'

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Shakespeare & Beyond

Read an excerpt from actor Paterson Joseph’s book about playing the role of Brutus in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s acclaimed 2012 production of Julius Caesar.

Excerpt: 'Year of the Mad King' by Antony Sher
Antony Sher
Shakespeare and Beyond

Excerpt: 'Year of the Mad King' by Antony Sher

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Shakespeare & Beyond

What’s it like to play the role of Lear onstage? In this excerpt from Year of the Mad King: The Lear Diaries, actor Antony Sher gives us a window into the rehearsal process for the Royal Shakespeare Company production of King…

‘The Winter’s Tale’ and the problem of the Bohemia seacoast
Shakespeare and Beyond

‘The Winter’s Tale’ and the problem of the Bohemia seacoast

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emma poltrack

A key plot point of Shakespeare’s ‘The Winter’s Tale’ relies on the country of Bohemia having a seacoast, which poses a geographical dilemma.

Globe-al dominance: The rise in reconstructed Globe theatres
Pop-Up Globe
Shakespeare and Beyond

Globe-al dominance: The rise in reconstructed Globe theatres

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Michelle Manning

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre is the most recognizable early modern playhouse, and the last few years have seen multiple reconstructions.

The production's the thing: Thoughts on Shakespeare's Romances
Shakespeare romances
Shakespeare and Beyond

The production's the thing: Thoughts on Shakespeare's Romances

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Author
Austin Tichenor

Austin Tichenor looks at different stage productions of “The Winter’s Tale” and “Pericles” in order to understand what makes Shakespeare’s Romances “work.”

'The Blazing World' by Margaret Cavendish: The first science fiction novel written by a woman
The Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish
Shakespeare and Beyond

'The Blazing World' by Margaret Cavendish: The first science fiction novel written by a woman

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Author
Esther French

“The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing World” by Margaret Cavendish has been called the first science-fiction novel written by a woman. Learn more about this book, which is part of the Folger collection.

What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in March
Shepherd’s dance in Bohemia
Shakespeare and Beyond

What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in March

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Shakespeare & Beyond

Every month, we share a snapshot of Shakespeare in performance around America. What plays are onstage this month? We check in with our theater partners.

Imagining Shakespeare: What's your favorite "statue scene" from "The Winter's Tale?"
Photograph of the statue scene from Folger Theatre's 2009 production of
Shakespeare and Beyond

Imagining Shakespeare: What's your favorite "statue scene" from "The Winter's Tale?"

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Author
Ben Lauer

We asked our followers on social media to share their favorite stagings of the “statue scene” from “The Winter’s Tale” with the hashtag #ImaginingShakespeare. 

Imagining Shakespeare: What happens in the statue scene from "The Winter’s Tale?”
Illustration of the statue scene from the end of Shakespeare's
Shakespeare and Beyond

Imagining Shakespeare: What happens in the statue scene from "The Winter’s Tale?”

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Author
Ben Lauer

Spoiler alert: something magical happens in the last scene of Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale.” We dug into the Folger collection to explore.

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