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There’s something for everyone. From theater and music, to poetry and exhibitions, experience the power of the arts with us.

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Folger Theatre’s 2025-2026 season

Single tickets go on sale August 5. Advance pre-sale is now available for Folger Members. Become a Member

Julius X

Julius X

Award-winning writer, journalist, and podcast host Al Letson blends the drama of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar with the story of Civil Rights leader Malcolm X.
Tue, Sep 23 – Sun, Oct 26, 2025
Dates & Tickets
Folger Theatre
As You Like It

As You Like It

The “love-shaked” Rosalind and her cousin Celia are forced to leave the court where they find respite and adventure in nature, inevitably succumbing to the madness of love and delightfully unpredictable circumstances.
Tue, Mar 10 – Sun, Apr 12, 2026
Dates & Tickets
Folger Theatre
How Shakespeare Saved My Life

How Shakespeare Saved My Life

In this tour-de-force performance, Jacob Ming-Trent dares to rescue himself from the “slings and arrows” of his past. Born with a gift for poetry but rejected as unfit to play the part of the poet, Ming-Trent’s search for home is relentless, and the results are by turns hilarious and tragic.
Tue, Jun 9 – Sun, Jul 5, 2026
Dates & Tickets
Folger Theatre

Become a subscriber

Subscriptions are on sale for Folger Theatre, Folger Consort, and the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series.

Folger Theatre subscriptions
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Folger Theatre subscriptions

Folger Theatre’s 2025-2026 season includes three exceptional plays telling stories of struggle and power, love and romance, and personal journeys. Subscribe now to lock in great seats at a low price and enjoy subscriber benefits.

Folger Consort subscriptions
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Folger Consort subscriptions

Next season features a collaboration with the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series, holiday performances, romantic music for Valentine’s Day, and a springtime-themed concert for Mother’s Day. Subscribe now for the best prices on tickets.

O.B. Hardison Poetry Series subscriptions
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O.B. Hardison Poetry Series subscriptions

Subscribe to a season that engages in a cross-century poetic conversation with Folger Consort, explores the literary legacies of Emily Dickinson and Jane Austen, and celebrates the next generation of local poets.

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How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition
A man dressed in court fashions during the reign of James I

How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition

Social climbing was a competitive sport in Tudor England, requiring a complex range of skills, strategies, and techniques. This exhibition explores what it takes to become an early modern mover and shaker.
Fri, Feb 21 – Sun, Aug 10, 2025
Learn More
Rose Exhibition Hall

O.B. Hardison Poetry Series

Single tickets go on sale August 5. Advance pre-sale is now available for Folger Members. Become a Member

Tomorrow’s Verses: The O.B. Hardison Reading

Tomorrow’s Verses: The O.B. Hardison Reading

Join Folger Poetry in honoring the legacy of former Folger Shakespeare Library Director O.B. Hardison, Jr. in an evening of dynamic readings by the next generation of local poets.
Tue, Oct 21, 2025 at 7:30pm
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Folger Theatre
The Emily Dickinson Birthday Tribute: Celebrating Jane Austen at 250

The Emily Dickinson Birthday Tribute: Celebrating Jane Austen at 250

This year, our annual birthday tribute to American poet Emily Dickinson will also honor English novelist Jane Austen on her 250th birthday. Noted scholars Martha Nell Smith and Patricia A. Matthew will discuss the life, work, and legacy of Dickinson and Austen and how they continue to shape writers of today, highlighting well-known passages.
Tue, Dec 9, 2025 at 7:30pm
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Folger Theatre
The 2026 Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize Reading

The 2026 Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize Reading

The Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize is awarded annually for a poetry collection by a writer who has published no more than one book of poetry. This April, we celebrate the 20th winner, Anna Lena Phillips Bell, for her manuscript Might Could, as selected by judge Shane McCrae, who will also read.
Tue, Apr 7, 2026 at 7:30pm
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Folger Theatre
The 2026 O.B. Hardison Poetry Series Finale Reading

The 2026 O.B. Hardison Poetry Series Finale Reading

The Poetry season concludes with a finale reading by a poet chosen by a group of Folger Poetry supporters. The evening’s honored guest will read from the work of other poets cited as their literary influences as well as from their own work.
Tue, May 19, 2026 at 7:30pm
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Folger Theatre
Exhibition halls

Exhibitions

Explore our world-class collection and enjoy interactive experiences created for visitors of all ages and stages.

  • Our Shakespeare Exhibition Hall is devoted to the works of William Shakespeare then and there, here and now — including for the first time a display of all 82 copies of the Folger’s First Folios; and
  • In our Stuart and Mimi Rose Rare Book and Manuscript Exhibition Hall, you’ll discover exhibits of significant collection items that inspire the Folger’s work, deep dives into our vault, and special exhibitions.

Current exhibitions

More about our exhibitions
Shakespeare Exhibition
An exhibition gallery with a touchscreen and two open books in cases in the foreground, a large case filled with closed books in the background, and beyond that a brightly lit gallery

Our Shakespeare Exhibition

See the Folger First Folios, learn more about Shakespeare and his plays, and explore the complexities of his cultural legacy.
Ongoing
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Shakespeare Exhibition Hall
Out of the Vault: Into the Heart of the Folger
exhibition gallery with colorful curtains separating glass cases with books

Out of the Vault

Encounter remarkable books and manuscripts that connect with the multifaceted work of the Folger in this ongoing exhibition.
Ongoing
Learn More
Rose Exhibition Hall
How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition
A man dressed in court fashions during the reign of James I

How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition

Social climbing was a competitive sport in Tudor England, requiring a complex range of skills, strategies, and techniques. This exhibition explores what it takes to become an early modern mover and shaker.
Fri, Feb 21 – Sun, Aug 10, 2025
Learn More
Rose Exhibition Hall

Cocktails and Conversation

Learn about research happening at the Folger in real time.

Cocktails and Conversation: "Cultural Cadences" with Nakeisha Daniel and JaMeeka Holloway
Photos of Nakeisha Daniel and JaMeeka Holloway

Cocktails and Conversation: "Cultural Cadences" with Nakeisha Daniel and JaMeeka Holloway

Join our fellows for an engaging and layered exploration of heightened language through the historical, linguistic, and performative intersections of Shakespearean English and the Gullah Geechee tradition.
Fri, Aug 15, 2025, 7pm
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Folger Library

Ticket information

Contact the Folger Box Office at (202) 544-7077 or folgerboxoffice@folger.edu.

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Ticket discounts

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Group sales