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All 75 posts by

emma poltrack

has a PhD in English and Comparative Literature Studies (with a focus on contemporary Shakespearean performance) from University of Warwick. She earned her MA in Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon and the Cultural History of Renaissance England at The Shakespeare Institute.
Sips to Savor with ‘The Moor’s Account’
Folger Spotlight

Sips to Savor with ‘The Moor’s Account’

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emma poltrack

To accompany our February 4 discussion of ‘The Moor’s Account’ by Laila Lalami, our friends at DCanter have curated a wine list especially for our conversation.

Resource Guide: ‘The Moor’s Account’ by Laila Lalami
Folger Spotlight

Resource Guide: ‘The Moor’s Account’ by Laila Lalami

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Author
emma poltrack

On February 4, 2021 the Folger returns to its Virtual Book Club with ‘The Moor’s Account’ by Laila Lalami. To prepare for the discussion, we have pulled together a list of Folger resources related to early modern exploration of the…

Recommended Reading: ‘Not Just Another Day Off’
Folger Spotlight

Recommended Reading: ‘Not Just Another Day Off’

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Author
emma poltrack

A curated list of recommended reading related to ‘Not Just Another Day Off,’ our our annual celebration of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. taking place on Monday, January 18, 2021.

Words, Words, Words: ‘The Moor’s Account’
Folger Spotlight

Words, Words, Words: ‘The Moor’s Account’

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Author
emma poltrack

The Folger’s virtual book club returns for 2021 on Thursday, February 4 with a discussion of Laila Lalami’s ‘The Moor’s Account’. To get ready for the conversation, we’ve compiled some introductory information on this Pulitzer Prize-finalist.

Words, Words, Words: ‘Station Eleven’ by Emily St. John Mandel
Folger Spotlight

Words, Words, Words: ‘Station Eleven’ by Emily St. John Mandel

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Author
emma poltrack

Kicking off next Thursday, we will be welcoming friends from all around the world to discuss Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven as part of a new virtual book club. To get ready for the conversation, we’ve compiled some introductory…

Edward Dering and the earliest record of an amateur private performance of a Shakespeare play
The Dering manuscript
Shakespeare and Beyond

Edward Dering and the earliest record of an amateur private performance of a Shakespeare play

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Author
emma poltrack

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…

'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Resource Guide
Folger Spotlight

'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Resource Guide

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Author
emma poltrack

To get you ready for a summer in the Athenian woods, we wanted to share with you a guide to the variety of ways you can explore A Midsummer Nights Dream online before seeing it at the National Building Museum.

Playlist: Windsor Top 20
Folger Spotlight

Playlist: Windsor Top 20

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Author
emma poltrack

Keep the party going beyond the theater with our “Merry Wives”-inspired Spotify playlist, featuring the tunes of the 70s and more.

5 classic TV Shakespeare references from the late 60s and early 70s: The Flintstones, Gilligan's Island, Star Trek, The Brady Bunch, and Happy Days
The Merry Wives of Windsor cast on a Brady Bunch-inspired stage
Shakespeare and Beyond

5 classic TV Shakespeare references from the late 60s and early 70s: The Flintstones, Gilligan's Island, Star Trek, The Brady Bunch, and Happy Days

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Author
emma poltrack

The cast of The Merry Wives of Windsor with a 1970s twist at Folger Theatre. The Brady Bunch-inspired scenic design is by Tony Cisek. (Cameron Whitman Photography) Shakespeare’s influence can be found in many aspects of American culture, from film…

Fat rogue, pampered glutton: Two Falstaffian context clues
From Q0 of 1 Henry IV.
Shakespeare and Beyond

Fat rogue, pampered glutton: Two Falstaffian context clues

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Author
emma poltrack

Early versions of Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part 1 show its immense popularity and point to Falstaff’s origins as the real-life figure Sir John Oldcastle.

The Boar's Head Jukebox: A Playlist Inspired by '1 Henry IV'
Folger Spotlight

The Boar's Head Jukebox: A Playlist Inspired by '1 Henry IV'

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Author
emma poltrack

Folger Theatre is getting ready to begin its 2019/20 season with 1 Henry IV. Part epic history, part raucous comedy, and part poignant coming-of-age tale. Get in the spirit(s) with our playlist of songs meant to introduce you to the characters and…

A Year to Remember: 1932 in Music
Folger Spotlight

A Year to Remember: 1932 in Music

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Author
emma poltrack

Folger Theatre’s ‘Love’s Labor’s Lost’ is set in roughly 1932—the year the Folger Shakespeare Library opened its doors to the public—and celebrates the Folger’s exquisite architecture, as well as the era’s glamorous post-flapper fashion. In its honor, we present a…

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