Share Your Shakespeare: Highlights from our 2020 Shakespeare's Birthday celebration

For Shakespeare’s birthday this year, the Folger Shakespeare Library partnered with the Royal Shakespeare Company to throw a virtual birthday party for Shakespeare, inviting people all around the world to #ShareYourShakespeare. Fans responded by reciting Shakespeare lines, staging scenes, striking poses, and creating art. Below we’ve shared a few highlights from the day.

Don’t miss this Macbeth / Hamilton Lego mash-up:

https://www.facebook.com/richa.kaushik.33/videos/10219006387723301/

Here’s a charming speech from A Midsummer Night’s Dream:

https://www.facebook.com/folgershakespearelibrary/posts/10158550449399459?__xts__[0]=68.ARBGvfj_a4GLNKX6TSt_BvM37mbCtm5qA3gh0X30o-jHNiJ3v1kUF9Hw1Zdo2ZDzmTIDPKtXdzidWbKnwuml6IdL0gZzUQYjBbpY8_9OPb-aF6odSgf1Sbk52rsgzRQz39Md8cldKgPd2p0fgcJS_kS7f00JU7j0pqEGiycTDE4OGYYMFAKLgC1XEXtuteoKlkhlRBYwsScO_Jid8NcsDlLgD_giKuv-c3TcEWVzrF9byaCgT1OCr1UGxUzPuH8W4lbN7VL-JLD1_vbwAl9hMa_neOeL0-OHvxgiUE5OP7lsG8jCTiCEXj4YXcpDU9wvOdJkDYSrxfoGI2tSd1on1BtMnhH2aQ&__tn__=-R

South African actor John Kani delivers a speech from Julius Caesar in the Xhosa language:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-2Fx3xjz1h/

We bet you weren’t expecting this: A monologue from Much Ado About Nothing—Sean Connery as Sherlock Holmes as Dogberry.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_AUXeMpCMy/

And it wasn’t just about the plays. The sonnets got plenty of attention too.

In honor of the worldwide celebration of the Bard’s birthday tomorrow, we’re sharing Sonnet 18 recited by BADA Faculty member Leo Wringer!#ShareYourShakespeare @theRSC @folgerlibrary pic.twitter.com/H6z07Dvgvj

— BADA (@BADAONLINE) April 22, 2020

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_V4U0kj8nu/

We heard a beautiful musical performance:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_U9-lwKkRZ/

Multiple Shakespeare fans shared their love for the Folger editions:

Emmalynn helped me read some sonnets and monologues for #ShareYourShakespeare! Are you ready?! Also: Gabrielle saw my tiny @FolgerLibrary edition Romeo and Juliet earrings and said, “Mom! You have books on your ears! I want to open one!” 😄 pic.twitter.com/zCn6s6LpNL

— Mrs. Latall (@LauraLatall) April 23, 2020

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_WmTxlAtRP/

Staff members from the Folger Shakespeare Library also joined in on the fun. Here are some choice selections of Shakespeare insults, accompanied by illustrations from the Folger collection, created by the Collection Description and Imaging group.

We saw more than one tableau vivant inspired by the Shakespeare bas-reliefs on the front of the Folger building:

Two stagings of Macbeth from the Folger's staff! Find all of our bas reliefs at https://t.co/q0JqbqOjRM and recreate one yourself! #ShareYourShakespeare pic.twitter.com/EoKE1pKJ63

— Folger Shakespeare Library (@FolgerLibrary) April 23, 2020

And we’ll leave you with this delightful scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, performed by Folger Institute staff: