What's on
There’s something for everyone. From theater and music, to poetry and exhibitions, experience the power of the arts with us.
Upcoming Events
Join us for in-person and virtual events; theater, poetry, music, and more.
DC & Me: Community Stories from Anacostia
DC & Me: Community Stories from Anacostia
Come hear stories from and see art created by the Anacostia community in this multi-media installation.
Fri, May 10 - Mon, Sep 9, 2024
DC & Me: Community Stories from Mt. Pleasant
DC & Me: Community Stories from Mt. Pleasant
Come hear stories from and see art created by the Mt. Pleasant community in this multi-media installation.
Wed, Apr 24 - Mon, Sep 9, 2024
DC & Me: Community Stories from Penn Quarter
DC & Me: Community Stories from Penn Quarter
Come hear stories from and see art created by the Penn Quarter community in this multi-media installation.
Thu June 28 - Mon, Sep 9, 2024
Early Music Seminar: Tale of Two Cities
Early Music Seminar: Tale of Two Cities
Folger Consort Artistic Director Robert Eisenstein leads a lively seminar that offers a sneak peek at the music performed in the Folger Consort’s upcoming Tale of Two Cities: Music of Florence and Venice.
Wednesday, Sept 11, 2024 at 6pm
Book Reading and Signing with Nicholas Meyer
Book Reading and Signing with Nicholas Meyer
Join the Folger for a night of mystery with filmmaker and author Nicholas Meyer for a reading from his latest novel Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell.
Thurs, Sept 12, 2024, 7:30pm
Tale of Two Cities
Tale of Two Cities
Both Florence and Venice were European power centers in the 16th and 17th centuries. Both also had exciting musical cultures. The Consort will offer pieces by important composers who worked in each city: Claudio Monteverdi and his colleagues who created at San Marco in Venice, and Florentine composer Francesca Caccini, among others.
September 13 – 15, 2024
Romeo and Juliet: Teaching Teenagers Then and Now
Romeo and Juliet: Teaching Teenagers Then and Now
Wednesday, September 18 at 8 pm ET
Folger Friday Presents: Craft Your Power
Folger Friday Presents: Craft Your Power
At Craft Your Power, guests can learn (or relearn) about handicrafts that have structured power and agency, utility and artistry, across cultures and throughout time. Hands-on crafting stations throughout the Folger will feature basket weaving, painting, origami, bracelet-making, and much more. Enjoy live jazz music in our galleries, snacks and drinks in the Great Hall, and other crafty Folger fun. Sign up today to reserve your spot.
Friday, Sept 20, 2024
Shakespeare Exhibition
Our Shakespeare Exhibition
See the Folger First Folios, learn more about Shakespeare and his plays, and explore the complexities of his cultural legacy.
Opening Fri, Jun 21, 2024
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 and Ongoing Exhibitions
Imprints in Time
Imprints in Time
This special exhibition at the Folger features rare books from the collection of Stuart and Mimi Rose that present literary, cultural, and historical high points.
Fri, Jun 21, 2024 – Sun, Jan 5, 2025
Shakespeare Exhibition
Our Shakespeare Exhibition
See the Folger First Folios, learn more about Shakespeare and his plays, and explore the complexities of his cultural legacy.
Opening Fri, Jun 21, 2024
Out of the Vault: Into the Heart of the Folger
Out of the Vault
Encounter remarkable books and manuscripts that connect with the multifaceted work of the Folger in this ongoing exhibition.
Opening Fri, Jun 21, 2024
Talks
Silenced Voices, Banned Books
Silenced Voices, Banned Books
Our first discussion of our new Inside the Season series, we explore the topic of book banning in America, with specific focus on the influence/impact on education.
Sat, Sep 28, 2024 at 6pm
Creative Conversations: Romeo and Juliet
Creative Conversations: Romeo and Juliet
Creative team members of Romeo and Juliet, sit down with Karen Ann Daniels, Artistic Director of Folger Theatre, to discuss the production.
Fri, Oct 4, 2024 at 6:30pm
Pre-Show Talk with Margo Hendricks and Jeannette Christensen, moderated by Kathryn Vomero Santos
Pre-Show Talk with Margo Hendricks and Jeannette Christensen, moderated by Kathryn Vomero Santos
A pre-show conversation about themes of race, politics, power, and, of course, love in Folger Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet.
Fri, Oct 11 at 6:30pm
Folger Salon with Tiffany Bragg, Alex Lewis, Simon Smith, and Jennifer Wu
Folger Salon with Tiffany Bragg, Alex Lewis, Simon Smith, and Jennifer Wu
Learn about research happening at the Folger in real time! Each month, Folger Institute scholar and artist fellows will share their most exciting finds and thought-provoking challenges, followed by casual open conversation.
Thurs, Oct 17 at 4:30pm
"Is the day so young?": Gen Z Finds a Seat at the Table
"Is the day so young?": Gen Z Finds a Seat at the Table
This panel session will include representatives from the field and high school/college age students discussing topics around civic participation, mental health and anxiety, and what it means to plan for the future in 2024.
Sat, Nov 2, 2024 at 6pm
Coded Threads: Translating Shakespeare Through Art
Coded Threads: Translating Shakespeare Through Art
Leading Maryland fiber artists, including Folger Institute Artist Fellow Suzanne Coley, will present modern needlework designs inspired by Shakespeare.
Sat, Nov 16 at 11am ET
Folger Salon with Patricia Ann Lott, Suzette Marie Martin, and KhoKhoi (mary alinney villacastin)
Folger Salon with Patricia Ann Lott, Suzette Marie Martin, and KhoKhoi (mary alinney villacastin)
Learn about research happening at the Folger in real time! Each month, Folger Institute scholar and artist fellows will share their most exciting finds and thought-provoking challenges, followed by casual open conversation.
Thurs, Nov 21 at 4:30pm
Folger Salon with Pablo Miguel Sierra Silva and Ania Upstill
Folger Salon with Pablo Miguel Sierra Silva and Ania Upstill
Learn about research happening at the Folger in real time! Each month, Folger Institute scholar and artist fellows will share their most exciting finds and thought-provoking challenges, followed by casual open conversation.
Thurs, Dec 12 at 4:30pm
Power on Parade
Power on Parade
This panel session will include representatives from the field and high school/college age students discussing topics around civic participation, mental health and anxiety, and what it means to plan for the future in 2024.
Sat, Mar 1, 2025 at 6pm
Folger Theatre 24-25 Season
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
In a violent world, two young people from warring families fall in love. How can they safeguard their future when the systems meant to protect them fail?
October 1 – November 10, 2024
Creative Conversations: Romeo and Juliet
Creative Conversations: Romeo and Juliet
Creative team members of Romeo and Juliet, sit down with Karen Ann Daniels, Artistic Director of Folger Theatre, to discuss the production.
Fri, Oct 4, 2024 at 6:30pm
Pre-Show Talk with Margo Hendricks and Jeannette Christensen, moderated by Kathryn Vomero Santos
Pre-Show Talk with Margo Hendricks and Jeannette Christensen, moderated by Kathryn Vomero Santos
A pre-show conversation about themes of race, politics, power, and, of course, love in Folger Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet.
Fri, Oct 11 at 6:30pm
A Room in the Castle
A Room in the Castle
This retelling of Hamlet from the perspective of the women of the story offers up what it’s like to be on the other end of a wild prince’s antics while delivering a message of defiant hope.
March 4 – April 6, 2025
Creative Conversations:
A Room in the Castle
Creative Conversations:
A Room in the Castle
Creative Conversations:
A Room in the Castle
Creative team members of A Room in the Castle, sit down with Karen Ann Daniels, Artistic Director of Folger Theatre, to discuss the production.
Fri, Mar 7, 2025 at 6:30pm
Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night
A playful interpretation of a beloved Shakespeare comedy that brings gender fluidity, mistaken identities, and what it means to move between worlds into a joyful discovery of love.
May 13 – June 22, 2025
Creative Conversations: Twelfth Night
Creative Conversations: Twelfth Night
Creative team members of Twelfth Night, sit down with Karen Ann Daniels, Artistic Director of Folger Theatre, to discuss the production.
Fri, May 16, 2025 at 6:30pm
For Families
Family Workshop: United States of Shakespeare
Family Workshop: United States of Shakespeare
Dive into the worlds of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, Henrietta Vinton Davis and Powhatan Beaty to learn about the power of Shakespeare’s words.
Sat, Sep 21, 2024
DIY at the Folger: Printing
DIY at the Folger: Printing
Families will get an introduction to historic printing and help Folger staff pull a print from our very own printing press!
Wed, Oct 09 & Wed, Dec 04, 2024
Family Workshop: Something Wicked: Supernatural Shakespeare
Family Workshop: Something Wicked: Supernatural Shakespeare
“Eye of newt and toe of frog!” Families can join the Folger and get spooky with Shakespeare’s ghosts and witches.
Sat, Oct 26, 2024
DIY at the Folger: Letter Writing
DIY at the Folger: Letter Writing
Families will learn the basics of writing with quill and ink and send their own letter, Renaissance-style!
Wed, Nov 06, 2024
Family Workshop: Cram Thee with More Food
Family Workshop: Cram Thee with More Food
Take a bite out of Shakespeare’s words and Elizabethan table manners!
Sat, Nov 16, 2024
Folger Consort 24-25 Season
Tale of Two Cities
Tale of Two Cities
Both Florence and Venice were European power centers in the 16th and 17th centuries. Both also had exciting musical cultures. The Consort will offer pieces by important composers who worked in each city: Claudio Monteverdi and his colleagues who created at San Marco in Venice, and Florentine composer Francesca Caccini, among others.
September 13 – 15, 2024
A Mass for Christmas Eve
A Mass for Christmas Eve
Composed in 1694, Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s "Messe de Minuit pour Noel" is based on captivating, folksong-like noels steeped in the composer’s characteristic balance of irresistible dance rhythms and sophisticated harmonies. The Consort will complement Charpentier’s Mass with haunting English "Balulalows" for voices set amid joyful instrumental concertos by Italian baroque masters.
December 6 – 15, 2024
The Love Birds
The Love Birds
Geoffrey Chaucer’s charming and trenchant A Parlement of Foules contains the first reference to St. Valentine as patron saint of lovers. The 14th-century poet's vision of avian politics will be interspersed with bracing and intricate music of his times from England and France, perfectly mirrored by the newly-composed music of composer Juri Seo.
February 14 – 16, 2025
Kings and Commonwealth
Kings and Commonwealth
The music from the court of King James I reflects the political and religious upheavals in early seventeenth century England. The Folger Consort will perform political ballads of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot, along with instrumental music from both James’ and Charles I’s courts and swaggering and silly political songs from Thomas D’Urfey’s Pills to Purge Melancholy.
May 2 – 4, 2025
DC & Me
With these three interactive installations at the Folger and other locations around Washington, DC, experience stories from and art created by people in the Anacostia, Mt. Pleasant, and Penn Quarter neighborhoods.
DC & Me: Community Stories from Mt. Pleasant
DC & Me: Community Stories from Mt. Pleasant
Come hear stories from and see art created by the Mt. Pleasant community in this multi-media installation.
Wed, Apr 24 - Mon, Sep 9, 2024
DC & Me: Community Stories from Anacostia
DC & Me: Community Stories from Anacostia
Come hear stories from and see art created by the Anacostia community in this multi-media installation.
Fri, May 10 - Mon, Sep 9, 2024
DC & Me: Community Stories from Penn Quarter
DC & Me: Community Stories from Penn Quarter
Come hear stories from and see art created by the Penn Quarter community in this multi-media installation.
Thu June 28 - Mon, Sep 9, 2024
O.B. Harrison Poetry 24-25 Season
Claudia Rankine & Yesenia Montilla
Claudia Rankine & Yesenia Montilla
The 56th season of the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series opens with Claudia Rankine and Yesenia Montilla reading from work that explores whether “we, the people” have truly established justice for all.
Tues, Oct 15, 2024 at 7:30pm
Letras Latinas celebrates 20 years
Letras Latinas celebrates 20 years
The second reading of the season celebrates twenty years of Letras Latinas, the literary initiative at the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Poets Blas Falconer, Valerie Martínez, and Dan Vera will read from their work with a moderated conversation following the reading.
Tues, Nov 12, 2024 at 7:30pm
Disability Poetics with Camisha Jones and torrin a. greathouse
Disability Poetics with Camisha Jones and torrin a. greathouse
Folger Poetry continues its exploration of 'Whose Democracy?' with readings by poets torrin a. greathouse and Camisha L. Jones whose present works probe the erasure of disabled voices.
Tues, Feb 25, 2025 at 7:30pm
The O.B. Hardison Poetry Series Finale Reading Ellen Bass
The O.B. Hardison Poetry Series Finale Reading Ellen Bass
Ellen Bass, chosen by a group of Folger Poetry supporters, will read from the work of other poets cited as a literary influence, as well as from her own work. A moderated conversation will follow the reading, with a bookselling and signing at the post-reading reception.
Tues, Apr 8, 2025 at 7:30pm
Subscribe to the 2024-2025 season
Subscriptions are now on sale for the 2024-2025 season, “Whose Democracy?” Explore our subscription packages for Folger Theatre, Folger Consort, and the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series.
Ticket information
Contact the Folger Box Office at (202) 544-7077 or folgerboxoffice@folger.edu.
