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Alert: The Folger Shakespeare Library will be closed on Tuesday, January 27, due to winter weather.

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Making Myths: the Legacies of William Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth, and American Actors

Gallery Talk

Booking and details

This event has passed.

Dates Fri, Jan 23, 2026, 6:45pm

Tickets $20

Please note: Children under the age of 4 are not permitted.

Guided by Nicole Bryner, Associate Director of Exhibitions Operations, visitors will explore the exhibition halls to learn about the ways contemporary portraiture of Queen Elizabeth perpetuated a self-cultivated myth of the monarch, the ways Shakespeare’s life was mythologized in the Regency era, and the ways American Shakespearean actors created mythic selves to leave their own mark on theatrical history. Myths will be busted!

How to attend the festival

Individual events – $20

Reading Room Festival All-Access Pass – $125

Access to all staged readings, panel discussions, workshops, and community celebrations included in the Festival.

Students – Free admission to readings and conversations

Admitted free one-half hour before event start time, with a valid ID.