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
![Shax_beyond_small_banner](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2022/11/Shax_beyond_small_banner.jpg?resize=1200%2C400&gravity)
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.
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Citrus and sugar: Making marmalade with Hannah Woolley
Hannah Woolley’s 17-century recipe for marmalade captures the flavors of exotic citrus with the preservative power of sugar, which had only recently been made widely available to upper- and middle-class British people.
![King Lear by Paul Glenshaw King Lear by Paul Glenshaw](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2019/02/Paul-Glenshaw-King-Lear.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
Drawing Shakespeare: King Lear
Artist Paul Glenshaw writes about drawing the bas-relief of King Lear by sculptor John Gregory on the front of the Folger Shakespeare Library building.
![Chicago Shakespeare Theater: The Taming of the Shrew Chicago Shakespeare Theater: The Taming of the Shrew](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2019/02/Chicago-Shakespeare-Taming-of-the-shrew-book-club.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
Shakespeare book clubs: the pleasures and frustrations of diving into the plays with a group
It’s not unusual to see theaters sponsoring monthly or semi-regular meetings devoted to reading and talking about Shakespeare’s plays.
![Clay Vanderbeek (Rosencrantz) and Nate Ruleaux (Guildenstern) in Annapolis Shakespeare Company’s 2019 production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead directed by Donald Hicken. Photo by Joshua McKerrow.](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2019/02/1.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in February
Every month, we call up our Shakespeare theater partners to see what they have onstage. Find out what’s on across the US in February.
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Akara from Africa: Black-eyed pea fritters, inspired by Hercules
Learn more about black-eyed peas’ place in the early modern world and enjoy this akara recipe inspired by Hercules, a chef enslaved by George Washington.
![Girl on the Balcony Girl on the Balcony - Olivia Hussey as Juliet](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2019/02/Girl-on-the-Balcony-cover-Olivia-Hussey.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
Excerpt - The Girl on the Balcony by Olivia Hussey
Read an excerpt from “The Girl on the Balcony: Olivia Hussey Finds Life After Romeo and Juliet,” a memoir by the star of Franco Zeffirelli’s classic film.
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"So are you to my thoughts as food to life" and more Shakespeare quotes for Valentine's Day
Whether you’re giving a valentine to a sweetheart or a friend, why not say it with Shakespeare? See beautifully illustrated quotes for Valentine’s Day.
![Daltrey cover lo res Roger Daltrey, Thanks a Lot Mr. Kibblewhite (2018). Book cover.](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2019/02/Daltrey-cover-lo-res.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
Excerpt -- 'Thanks a Lot Mr. Kibblewhite' by Roger Daltrey
In his recent memoir, “Thanks a Lot Mr. Kibblewhite,” Roger Daltrey of The Who writes, among other things, about playing the Dromio twins in the BBC’s TV movie of “The Comedy of Errors” (1983).
![TWood_Recipes806_453 sm Robert May's brisket. Recipe developed by Marissa Nicosia. Photo by Teresa Wood.](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2019/01/TWood_Recipes806_453-sm.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
British Beef, French Style: Robert May's Braised Brisket
British beef cooked in a French style: Marissa Nicosia shares an early modern recipe for brisket from “The Accomplisht Cook,” by 17th-century English chef Robert May.
![JCDrawingPG Julius Caesar bas-relief. Drawing by Paul Glenshaw.](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2019/01/JCDrawingPG.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
Drawing Shakespeare: Julius Caesar
Artist Paul Glenshaw describes drawing the Folger bas-relief of “Julius Caesar,” in which assassins with their knives start to turn away as Caesar dies. He pairs the image with a painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme at the Walters Art Museum in…
![024619 Nell Gwyn. Print, by R. Tomson after Peter Lely, from Cunningham, The story of Nell Gwyn. 1883. Folger Shakespeare Library.](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2019/01/024619.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
The First English Actresses
In 1660, women (rather than men) began playing female roles, including female Shakespearean roles, on the professional English stage. Learn more about these early actresses.
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In the Giving Vein: The Pop-Cultural Legacy of Olivier's Richard III
With a US audience of tens of millions in its TV release at the same time it was released in American theaters, Laurence Olivier’s film “Richard III” (1955) has left a lasting, sometimes hilarious, legacy in pop culture, from Peter…