Theater and performance
Snakes on a Stage: Behind the Scenes with Tony Koehler
Props master Tony Koehler returns to the Folger Spotlights to talk about the foresight needed to bring a fortune teller to life, how to make a bed (from scratch), and, of course, the trial-and-error involved in creating a number of…
Theatrical disturbances and actors behaving badly: what the Drury Lane Prompter’s Journal tells us about nineteenth-century theatrical life
Guest post by Dr. Sarah Burdett What was life like inside the nineteenth-century London theatre? How smoothly did performances run? And how professionally did actors behave? The Drury Lane Prompter’s Journal, 1812-1818, held at the Folger, provides an excellent resource…
You Can Dance If You Want To: Movement in Antony and Cleopatra
Actor and movement director John Floyd speaks to the Spotlight about how he worked with the cast to create the production’s acclaimed choreography.
As the (Ancient) World Turns: Tony Cisek on designing Antony and Cleopatra's set
Scenic designer Tony Cisek speaks to The Folger Spotlight about his inspirations for Antony and Cleopatra’s set and returning to an in-the-round configuration.
Dramaturg's Notes: Antony and Cleopatra
Before you come see the show, read Folger Dramaturg Michele Osherow’s thoughts on how Shakespeare’s tragedy encompasses the public and private desires of history’s infamous pair of lovers.
Behind the Camera with Antony and Cleopatra
The sultry D.C. summer is winding down, but things are just heating up at Folger Theatre where we’re preparing for our first show of the season: Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra.
Timon of Gotham?: An Interview with set designer Tony Cisek
With lights by Andrew F. Griffin and projections by Francesca Talenti, Tony Cisek’s striking scenic design for Timon of Athens has been wowing audiences since performances began on May 9. Folger Spotlight spoke to Cisek to find out more about…
Talking 'Timon' with Resident Dramaturg Michele Osherow, Part II
We explore how Osherow has been working with the cast to explore Shakespeare’s language through the rehearsal process.
Talking 'Timon' with Resident Dramaturg Michele Osherow, Part I
Read the first part of our conversation here to find out what kinds of discoveries are being made in the rehearsal room, and then check back next week to learn more about the language of this Shakespearean tragedy.
'Timon of Athens' First Rehearsal
The last production of Folger Theatre’s 25th anniversary season began on Monday with the first rehearsal and read-through of Timon of Athens. What can we expect from this rarely performed play? Let’s take a peek inside the room and see what we…
Costumes in 'As You Like It'
Were it not better, Because that I am more than common tall, That I did suit me all points like a man? Much of the love-lorn humor in As You Like It comes from Rosalind’s male disguise, but she’s not…
Pistachios Versus Verses: Props in 'As You Like It'
Love may bloom naturally in the Forest of Arden, but the magic of theater requires a great deal of time and work from the people behind the scenes. Folger Spotlight caught up with Props Master Tony Koehler to find out what…