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Cocktails and Conversation with John Douglas Thompson and Daniela Varon

a talk in the Reading Room

Booking and details

Dates Fri, Jul 11, 2025, 7:30pm

Venue Reading Room

Tickets $40 Members / $50 Non-members

Tickets available June 9, with advance access for Folger Members.

Join us for an evening of Cocktails and Conversation, hosted by Folger Director Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper. Leading American Shakespearean actor John Douglas Thompson and theater director and Shakespearean acting specialist Daniela Varon will speak on the solo performance piece they are co-creating as part of their Artistic Research Fellowships at the Folger.

This piece, with the working title Shakespeare in Sable—inspired in part by Errol Hill’s pioneering 1984 book of that name—interweaves the story of John’s unexpected and unconventional journey to becoming a classical actor with the history of Black Shakespearean actors, primarily in America and the United Kingdom, from the 19th and 20th centuries to the present day.

Tickets to this event are being offered in advance to Folger Members at a discounted price. Learn how you can become a Member today

Speakers

John Douglas Thompson

John Douglas Thompson

Daniela Varon

Daniela Varon

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Q&A: John Douglas Thompson on playing Othello at the Royal Shakespeare Company

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Esther Ferington

John Douglas Thompson, who is playing the title role in Othello in the Royal Shakespeare Company production, shares his insights about the character and the play.

About Folger Institute

The Folger Institute is a center for early modern research at the Folger Shakespeare Library that brings public audiences together with researchers to explore the cultures and legacies of the early modern world. Learn more.