Calendar

Curators: Georgianna Ziegler

Virginia Woolf famously evoked Shakespeare’s sister in A Room of One’s Own as she tried to imagine the difficulties women writers faced during the early modern period. In fact, Woolf was not aware of how many women actually were writing during that time, because many of their works were never published, and those that were, lay in relative critical neglect. This exhibition explores those women who were, in fact, writing during Shakespeare's time. It reimagines the “conversations” of these early women writers: with each other as members of families or groups; with the Bible; with spiritual and secular ideas; and with male writers of the time.

Special Sunday viewing hours from noon to 5pm.

Garden tours are offered at 10am and 11am on the first and third Saturday of each month, April through October.
The Elizabethan Garden is open year-round, Monday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and before most Folger performances.

Explore our garden, inspired by herbal references in Shakespeare's plays and also incorporating plants popular in his time, including lavender, creeping thyme, and English ivy; a knot garden; and Shakespearean statues by American sculptor Greg Wyatt. Folger docents offer insights into plantings, Elizabethan customs, and more.

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Aaron Posner

The battle of the sexes wages on as the arrogant Petruchio and the headstrong Kate face off in Shakespeare’s comedic examination of the institution of marriage and the journey toward love.

Hear Julie Otsuka, The Buddha in the Attic, winner of America's largest peer-juried fiction award, and the four finalists - Russell Banks, Lost Memory of Skin; Don DeLillo, The Angel Esmeralda; Anita Desai, The Artist of Disappearance; and Steven Millhauser, We Others - read from their work, with presentations by this year’s judges Marita Golden, Maureen Howard, and Steve Yarbrough. A reception follows the ceremony.

Enjoy the opening night performance of Folger Theatre's production of The Taming of the Shrew followed by a reception with the cast and company.

Snyder has published 16 books of poetry and prose, and received numerous accollades, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, an American Book Award, and a finalist for the National Book Award. In this reading, Snyder will share favorite poems by other poets in addition to reading from his own work.

Mike Witmore, Director of the Folger, shares his perspective on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in a pre-performance discussion.

Patchett is an award-winning author. Her books include The Patron Saint of Liars, Taft, The Magician's Assistant, Run, and, most recently, State of Wonder. Special Reading - not part of the subscription series.