Staging Shakespeare
A history of Theatre Royal Haymarket and its struggle to break through London's restrictions on Shakespeare
William Capon. Theatre Royal Haymarket. August 1803. Folger Shakespeare Library. During a time when performing Shakespeare in London was a legal right belonging only to certain theaters, the Haymarket theater’s rise to greatness is directly linked to its struggle to…
Shakespeare at a distance: When the playhouses close but performance continues
Watercolor sketch of the Globe stage by Cyril Walter Hodges. Folger Shakespeare Library. The coronavirus pandemic has forced the closure of theaters around the world, and it might seem at first glance that the theater community has come to a…
Edward Dering and the earliest record of an amateur private performance of a Shakespeare play
Recently New York Times theater critic Ben Brantley extolled the virtues of reading plays out loud in your living room as a way to while away the COVID-19 time at home. Memories of his own time reading Hamlet as a…
Your guide to streaming Shakespeare in April
Here’s how to watch Shakespeare from home this month, featuring performances from your favorite theater companies and films on streaming platforms like Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix.
Teller on his magical 'Macbeth' at Folger Theatre
Ian Merrill Peakes (Macbeth), Macbeth, conceived and directed by Teller and Aaron Posner, Folger Theatre in a co-production with Two River Theater Company, 2008. Carol Pratt. “Our premise is that Macbeth is Shakespeare’s supernatural horror thriller, and should be done…
Your guide to streaming Shakespeare in March
Streaming platforms are a great way to get some Shakespeare while you’re social distancing. Here’s what’s streaming now, featuring Anthony Hopkins, Bollywood, “The Twilight Zone,” and more.
Beware the Ides of March — and confusing interpretations of 'Julius Caesar'
Brutus (Anthony Cochrane, left) and Julius Caesar (Michael Sharon, right), Julius Caesar, directed by Robert Richmond, Folger Theatre, 2014. Photo by Teresa Wood. In 1599, in the 40th year of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, when she had no heir or obvious…
What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in February
Every month, we check in with our theater partners to give you a look at Shakespeare across the United States. Here’s what’s on in February.
10 acclaimed directors on Shakespeare and their work
A few of favorite quotes from some of the directors we’ve had on the Folger’s Shakespeare Unlimited podcast since 2014.
"This wide and universal theater": Tricks of the theatrical trade in Shakespeare's plays
“Write what you know” is the age-old wisdom young writers are always given, and though he never wrote a backstage comedy (or, for that matter, a backstage history, tragedy, or romance), William Shakespeare filled his plays with the tricks of…
What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in January
We reached out to our theater partners across the US to see what Shakespeare plays they have onstage at the dawn of a new decade.
We asked 5 artistic directors: How did making Shakespeare change in the 2010s?
We asked five artistic directors from Shakespeare companies around the United States: How did making Shakespeare change between 2010 and 2020? Plus, we recap a wild decade for Shakespeare lovers.