Shakespeare, Austen, and the Cult of Celebrity
Will & Jane: Shakespeare, Austen, and the Cult of Celebrity takes a close look at these two celebrated authors’ literary afterlives—and finds some surprising parallels. For both, adaptations and parodies in different eras helped popularize their work and make it more approachable (think Shakespeare Undead and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). Milestone events also increased their fame: for Shakespeare, the much-heralded 1769 Shakespeare Jubilee, and for Austen, a burst of 1990s films and a watershed BBC production. From portraits to porcelain collectibles, branded merchandise, and gravestone rubbings, these two authors have traced intriguingly similar arcs in their posthumous fame. Explore their stories and the nature of celebrity in the 400th anniversary year of Shakespeare's death and the 199th anniversary of Austen’s in 2016.
Reviews
"Lit's Dynamic Duo, Will and Jane, Shared Path to Pop Stardom" (New York Times)
"'Will & Jane' is the Folger's look at how the two authors reflect ourselves" (Washington Post)
Part of The Wonder of Will, a Folger celebration of 400 years of Shakespeare
This exhibition is generously supported by:
May Liang
Roger and Robin Millay
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Parian bust of Shakespeare (19th Century, ART 248540) and Marble bust of Austen on wooden base (Late 20th century, Loan courtesy of Joan Doyle, Member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, Eastern Pennsylvania Region)
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Costume, regency-style man’s chemise
Dinah Collin, Costume Designer London, 1995
Property of Cosprop Ltd., London
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Mug with portrait of Shakespeare and image of Mulberry Tree
Cider mug, for likely use at Stratford Jubilee
Chinaware
England, 1769
ART Inv. 1074
David Garrick as Don John
Liverpool creamware with transfer-printed design
England, ca. 1790
ART 241061
Kathleen Bader Stevans, artist
Vintage ceramic platter hand-painted with Chawton cottage
Pittsburgh: Pure Hokum, 2014
Loan courtesy of private collector
Thomas Sharp (1725-1799), artist
Rolling pin made from “Shakespeare’s” mulberry tree
Pasted image of Chandos portrait
England, 1756
Wood no. 1
Jane Austen silhouette cookie cutters
Metal
United States, 21st century
Loan courtesy of private collector
Darcy and Elizabeth salt and pepper shakers
Glazed ceramic
Bas Blue, 2013
Loan courtesy of private collector
Bellows with Shakespeare bas relief portrait
Wood, leather, and brass
England, 18th or 19th century
ART Inv. 1131
Pride and Prejudice dish towel
Cotton
Lincolnshire: Countryside Art, 21st century
Loan courtesy of private collector
Toasting fork with portrait of Shakespeare on handle
Brass
England or United States, 19th or 20th Century
ART Inv. 1140
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Porcelain figurine of William Shakespeare (Staffordshire, 18th century, McCall 198) and Porcelain figurine of Jane Austen (M. Young, artist, “Limited Edition of 750; No. 64”, England: Frederick Warne & Co. for Rockingham China, 1994, Loan courtesy of Joan Doyle, Member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, Eastern Pennsylvania Region)
Meet the Curators
Janine Barchas is Professor of English at the University of Texas, where she teaches Austen in Austin. Her publications include Graphic Design, Print Culture, and the Eighteenth-Century Novel (2003), which won the SHARP DeLong prize, and Matters of Fact in Jane Austen: History, Location, and Celebrity (2012). She is also the creator of What Jane Saw (www.whatjanesaw.org), an online gallery that reconstructs two Georgian art exhibitions attended by Jane Austen—including the first-ever Shakespeare museum.
Kristina Straub is Professor of Literary and Cultural Studies at Carnegie Mellon University where she teaches 18th-century British literature, gender studies, and performance theory. Her publications include Divided Fictions (1986, on the novelist Frances Burney), Sexual Suspects (1991, on 18th-century actors) and Domestic Affairs (2008, about servants and masters in 18th-century literature). She is currently editing a new anthology and performance sourcebook of Restoration and 18th-century drama, and writing about 18th-century theatrical performances based on Shakespeare’s plays.
Read
Read a series of blog posts by the Will & Jane curators on Shakespeare & Beyond:
- Jane Austen's Shakespeare - Jane Austen saw at least one Shakespeare play. What did she think of the Bard?
- Collecting Will and Jane - How do souvenirs, from cookie cutters to collector's items, feed these authors' celebrity?
- Will and Jane continued: adaptations, modernizations, and fan fiction - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, 10 Things I Hate About You, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and more!
- Repetition is celebrity: Shakespeare and Austen - Repetition magnifies celebrity, whether it's figurines of different Shakespearean actors in the same pose, or the much-imitated Mr. Darcy lake scene, Plus, some selfies with "The Shirt."
- What turns a good writer into a superstar? 200 years and plenty of spectacle - David Garrick's Shakespeare Jubilee and the BBC's Pride and Prejudice miniseries were watershed moments for Will and Jane.
- Will and Jane go to war - See the Shakespeare plays and Austen novels that American soldiers carried to the front lines.
Watch
Catch a performance of Sense & Sensibility, a new adaptation of Austen's classic novel, onstage at Folger Theatre through Nov 13. Attend a director's talk or post-show cast discussion, and take advantage of a free lesson in English country dancing.
Listen
Listen to a Shakespeare Unlimited podcast episode in which Janine Barchas, co-curator of Will & Jane, talks about the 18th-century Shakespeare craze and the recent online reconstruction of the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery.
Take a Quiz
Test your knowledge of Jane Austen and William Shakespeare with this quiz.
