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Free Events
The Folger offers a wide range of free events for audiences of all ages, including our monthly book club discussions and our annual celebration of Shakespeare’s birthday.
How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition
How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition
Social climbing was a competitive sport in Tudor England, requiring a complex range of skills, strategies, and techniques. This exhibition explores what it takes to become an early modern mover and shaker.
Through July 2025
Folger Book Club: 'Twelfth Knight'
by Alexene Farol Follmuth
by Alexene Farol Follmuth
Folger Book Club: 'Twelfth Knight'
Our April 2025 book club is a charming coming-of-age story by Alexene Farol Follmuth involving online gaming, based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
Thu, Apr 3, 2025, 6:30pm
Family Workshop: Spring Has Sprung
Family Workshop: Spring Has Sprung
Experience Shakespeare's words and their connection to nature and, weather permitting, take Shakespeare's words outdoors to the Folger's gardens! Choose from two free workshops for ages 5-7 and ages 8-11.
Sat, Apr 5, 2025 at 11:30am & 1pm
Out of the Vault: Into the Heart of the Folger
Out of the Vault
Encounter remarkable books and manuscripts that connect with the multifaceted work of the Folger in this ongoing exhibition.
Ongoing
Shakespeare's Birthday Celebration 2025
Shakespeare's Birthday Celebration
Celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday at the Folger with fun, family-friendly activities and birthday cake for all! Make an Elizabethan ruff, watch sword-fighting and printing press demonstrations, write sonnets, and more.
Sat, Apr 19, 2025, 11am
Shakespeare's Birthday Lecture: "Shakespeare Beyond Relevance" with Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper
Shakespeare's Birthday Lecture: "Shakespeare Beyond Relevance" with Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper
Join us for the Folger Institute’s annual Shakespeare’s Birthday Lecture with Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper, Director of the Folger Shakespeare Library, who will be accompanied by a special guest. Free registration is required to attend.
Sat, Apr 19, 2025, 7pm
Folger Salon with Douglas Clark, Jamie Gemmell, and Patricia A. Matthew
Folger Salon with Douglas Clark, Jamie Gemmell, and Patricia A. Matthew
Learn about research happening at the Folger in real time! Each month, Folger Institute scholar and artist fellows will share their most exciting finds and thought-provoking challenges, followed by casual open conversation.
Thu, April 24, 2025 at 4:30pm
Folger Book Club:
'The Death I Gave Him' by Em X. Liu
Folger Book Club:
'The Death I Gave Him' by Em X. Liu
Folger Book Club:
'The Death I Gave Him' by Em X. Liu
Our May 2025 is lyrical, queer sci-fi retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet as a locked-room thriller.
Thu, May 1, 2025, 6:30pm
Family Workshop: A Power Player Spectacle
Family Workshop: A Power Player Spectacle
Join the Folger as we use our how-to guide to power playing and the words of Shakespeare to create our own spectacular production! Choose from two free workshops for ages 5-7 and ages 8-11.
Sat, May 3, 2025 at 11:30am & 1pm
Cocktails and Conversation: "A Springtime Revival" with Douglas Clark
Cocktails and Conversation: "A Springtime Revival" with Douglas Clark
Help the Folger bring a “lost play” back to life! Short-term Fellow Douglas Clark will share his exciting recent discovery—a handwritten English translation of a pastoral comedy set on a Greek island.
Thu, May 8, 2025, 7pm
Folger Salon with Mark Bland, Zainab Cheema, and Kate Doubler
Folger Salon with Mark Bland, Zainab Cheema, and Kate Doubler
Learn about research happening at the Folger in real time! Each month, Folger Institute scholar and artist fellows will share their most exciting finds and thought-provoking challenges, followed by casual open conversation.
Thu, May 15, 2025 at 4:30pm
Queer Dramaturgy with Alexa Alice Joubin
Queer Dramaturgy with Alexa Alice Joubin
Join Professor Alexa Alice Joubin for a workshop on queer dramaturgy before seeing the Folger Theatre production of Twelfth Night.
Fri, May 30, 2025, 6:30pm