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
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.
Questions or comments? You can reach us at shakespeareandbeyond@folger.edu.
What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in September
Read our round-up of September performances from Shakespeare theaters across the country.
Q&A: Greg Prickman on Imprints in Time, a dazzling special exhibition
Greg Prickman discusses Imprints in Time, the first special exhibition in the new space, including Tolkien’s edits and an ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead.
How popular was Shakespeare in his day?
In an excerpt from a classic Shakespeare Unlimited podcast episode, Emma Smith explores a fascinating question: how popular was Shakespeare in his lifetime?
Quiz: What do you know about "Romeo and Juliet"?
Challenge yourself with a quiz about Romeo and Juliet.
The roles of the river in early modern times
An excerpt from Reading the River in Shakespeare’s Britain surveys some of the cultural roles of rivers, including how Shakespeare mentioned them in his plays.
Q&A: Peggy O’Brien on a fantastical Shakespeare map
Peggy O’Brien helps us explore a giant, richly detailed fictional map filled with Shakespeare’s characters, newly created for the Folger’s exhibition spaces.
“The purpose of playing”: Working with Shakespeare in Sing Sing and Ghostlight
Austin Tichenor explores how the films Sing Sing and Ghostlight show the power and healing of theater and Shakespeare, in both forceful and amusing ways.
Environmental history and the muckhill fine for Shakespeare's father
New research casts a more positive light on why Shakespeare’s father was fined for building a muckhill.
What’s onstage at Shakespeare theaters in August
Read our round-up of August performances from Shakespeare theaters across the country.
Announced in 1622: A book now known as the First Folio
Greg Prickman explains how news of the 1623 book we now call the First Folio appeared a year earlier, on the occasion of a trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany.
Summer Reading: Romeo and Juliet, revisited
Looking for summer reading? Try a novel based on Romeo and Juliet, from a San Diege restaurant feud to a zombie horror tale to a story about first love.
Quiz: Games, sports, and Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s plays are full of sports and games. Test your knowledge with these questions.