The Shakespeare & Beyond blog features a wide range of Shakespeare-related topics: the early modern period in which he lived, the ways his plays have been interpreted and staged over the past four centuries, the enduring power of his characters and language, and more.
Shakespeare & Beyond also explores the topics that shape our experience of Shakespeare today: trends in performance, the latest discoveries and scholarship, news stories, pop culture, interesting books, new movies, the rich context of theater and literary history, and more. As the word “beyond” suggests, from time to time Shakespeare & Beyond also covers topics that are not directly linked to Shakespeare.
Kim Hall: Bringing African American experiences to Shakespeare
Posted
Author
Shakespeare & Beyond
Paul Robeson was the first modern African American to perform Shakespeare—to perform Othello, and he talks in his letters and in his essays about bringing his experiences as a student in a white arena, his experiences with racism, to the…
A 1957 Taming of the Shrew with beautiful lithographs. Song lyrics from 1769 extolling the goblet carved from a mulberry tree supposedly planted by Shakespeare. These and other recent additions to the Folger Shakespeare Library collection will be up for…
A new set of Shakespeare valentines for Valentine's Day
Posted
Author
Shakespeare & Beyond
Whether you’re giving a valentine to a sweetheart or a friend, why not say it with Shakespeare? We have a new set of beautifully illustrated Shakespeare valentines for you, just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Black History Month: A Shakespeare Unlimited podcast playlist
Posted
Author
Shakespeare & Beyond
Robert Edmond Jones. Costume design for Paul Robeson as “Othello”. Ink and gouache drawing with fabric swatches attached, 1943. Folger Shakespeare Library. To commemorate Black History Month in February, we’re sharing a playlist of Shakespeare Unlimited episodes about the African…
Coat of arms discovery yields new insights into Shakespeare
Posted
Author
Shakespeare & Beyond
Dig deeper into one of the biggest Shakespeare stories of 2016: the discovery of previously unknown depictions of Shakespeare’s coat of arms. Folger Curator of Manuscripts Heather Wolfe and Folger Director Michael Witmore elaborate on the significance of those discoveries…
In this excerpt from the Shakespeare Anniversary Lecture Series at the Folger, Yale professor Joseph Roach argues that “the theater occasionally makes real history itself, materializing it for audiences by its own expressive means, especially so during an age of…
Food historian Francine Segan has a taste for the Renaissance and a love of Shakespeare. Here she adapts a recipe for “Citron pye” from a 1587 cookbook. You’ll find an intense combination of vinegar and pepper in these citrus tarts.
What's onstage in January at Shakespeare theaters across America: The Henry VI trilogy and more
Posted
Author
Esther French
Cincy Shakes and Seattle Shakespeare adapt the Henry VI plays, Nashville presents a ’90s Romeo and Juliet, and Nebraska teams up with the Omaha Symphony.
A champagne toast welcomed the return of the last First Folio to the Folger, completing a national tour in which 18 of the Folger’s 82 First Folios traveled to all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC, in 2016. This traveling…
Quiz: How well do you know the endings of Shakespeare's plays?
Posted
Author
Esther French
Louis Butelli (Feste) sings the final lines in Twelfth Night, directed by Robert Richmond, Folger Theatre, 2013. Photo by Scott Suchman. Challenge thyself! Test your Shakespeare knowledge and take this quiz. You may have gotten a perfect score on our…
