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Shakespeare & Beyond

Richard III: Taffety Punk's Bootleg Shakespeare

Kimberly Gilbert as Richard III. Photo by Brittany Diliberto.

Bootleg Shakespeare is not your typical night at the theater: The actors show up on the day of the performance with only their lines memorized; after a few hours of rehearsals, the audience arrives.

It’s a summer theater tradition for Washington’s Taffety Punk Theatre Company, which chooses a different Shakespeare play each time. This summer’s play is Richard III, wrapping up a story that began in 2016 with Henry VI, Part 1. The free, one-night performance takes place at the Folger on Saturday, July 27.

We did a quick Q&A with Kimberly Gilbert, who is playing the title role.