Theater history

Actress Sarah Siddons was 18th-century London’s best-known tragedienne, most famous for her portrayal of Lady Macbeth. An assortment of objects from our collection show her rise as an early star of modern celebrity culture.

Before Shakespeare became a literary icon, he was a working writer trying to earn a living in an often precarious new industry. Daniel Swift traces how his creativity unfolded at London’s first commercial playhouse, The Theatre.

The Theatre, London’s first purpose-built commercial playhouse, was designed for making two things: money and plays. In an excerpt from scholar Daniel Swift’s book, both were of interest to Shakespeare, who learned his craft there.

Director Les Kurbas’s 1920 Macbeth was the first production of a Shakespeare play in Ukraine. Scholar Irena Makaryk talks about his work and the role that Shakespeare and theater played in Ukrainian culture, the Russian Empire, and the early Soviet Union.

Before Shakespeare became a household name, there was Richard Burbage, the first actor to play Hamlet, Macbeth, Richard III, and King Lear. Scholar Siobhan Keenan examines his remarkable career and lasting impact on early modern theater.

In an excerpt from Siobhan Keenan’s new biography of actor Richard Burbage, we look at his rise to fame as Shakespeare’s Richard III.