On May 2, 2024 the Folger’s virtual book club continues with a discussion of The East Indian by Brinda Charry. To prepare for the discussion, we have pulled together a list of resources related to A Midsummer Night’s Dream and America’s early colonization.
READ the Shakespeare play referenced throughout novel
EXPLORE the play’s connection to trade and early globilization
- ‘In the spiced Indian air’: Trading coin and cloth in the empire of the Great Mughal
- Shakespeare’s Asia: Ships, spices, and porcelain
- written by Su Fang Ng, May’s guest speaker
- “More strange than true”: Finding America among the fairies
LISTEN to podcast episodes related to colonial history and impact
We would like to thank the following organization for its generous support of this program
Join us for a future event
Printing Press Demonstrations
Printing Press Demonstrations
Please note that our October printing press demonstrations have been canceled. To learn more about our replica 17th-century printing press and to see it in action, join us for future demonstrations.
Second Saturdays, 1:30pm & 3pm
Inventing the Icon: How Shakespeare Became "Shakespeare"
Inventing the Icon: How Shakespeare Became "Shakespeare"
Teachers, join us for a free, one-hour professional development session with Shakespeare scholar Paul Menzer.
Wed, Oct 14, 2026, 8pm ET
To Hear Her Speak: Black Women and Shakespeare
To Hear Her Speak: Black Women and Shakespeare
This landmark exhibition explores the histories of Black women in Shakespearean performance and highlights the ways in which Black women have engaged Shakespeare’s language, stories, and characters in their work.
Oct 16, 2026 – May 2, 2027
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