Wayne State University is hosting several events through April 1 celebrating the original Shakespeare First Folio, considered one of the world’s most influential books. First published in 1623, a copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio sold at auction in 2006 for $5.2 million. Only 244 copies exist.
To mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, the Folger Library in Washington, D.C., will be circulating 18 of its 82 copies to one site in each state. Wayne State University, in collaboration with the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Detroit Public Library, was selected to host the First Folio in Michigan.
The First Folio includes 36 Shakespeare plays, 18 of which had never been printed before. Without the First Folio, all of those plays — including Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, As You Like It and more — might have been lost forever. Compiled by two of his friends and fellow theater colleagues, the First Folio was published seven years after Shakespeare’s death in 1616.
The First Folio exhibition panels and rotating special collections will be on display March 2 through April 3 at Wayne State University’s Library System in the David Adamany Undergraduate Library atrium. The exhibit is open to the public and is free to view.
In conjunction with the First Folio exhibition, Wayne State is hosting various educational programs and related events for the general public, educators and students.
The Hilberry Theatre Company performs Love’s Labour’s Lost
Through March 12 at The Hilberry Theatre Company, Wayne State University, Detroit
Visit theatreanddance.wayne.edu for more information. Mention First Folio and get $5 off.
K-12 Teacher Workshop on Shakespeare’s First Folio
5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 11, Detroit Institute of Arts, Holley Room, Detroit
Led by Professor Gina DeBlase, Wayne State University College of Education, this K-12 workshop is designed to prepare educators to guide students through learning activities related to the First Folio exhibition in March. Wayne State English professors Ken Jackson and Jaime Goodrich also will participate as content specialists. The workshop will be limited to 30 teachers. For more information, contact Jenny Angell at JAngell@dia.org.
Knowledge On Tap: “The Bard at the Bar” with English Department Chair Ken Jackson
5:30 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 25, HopCat Detroit, 4265 Woodward, Detroit
Knowledge on Tap brings Wayne State’s renowned professors and scientists face to face with the public in Midtown’s restaurants and cafés. The events feature a live — and lively — discussion with some of Detroit’s greatest minds. The February discussion will focus on Shakespeare and the First Folio.
Shakespeare in Detroit Presents Julius Caesar
7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 26, David Adamany Undergraduate Library, Bernath Auditorium, Wayne State University, Detroit
Shakespeare in Detroit will give a full preview performance of its Julius Caesar production. The nonprofit, site-specific theatre company performs in the places where people live, work and play. Visit shakespeareindetroit.com for more information.
March 8 through April 3, Shakespeare’s First Folio on view at Detroit Institute of Arts, Era of Revolution gallery, third floor.
Master Class with Mary Thomas Crane
10 to 11 a.m., Thursday, March 10, Faculty/Administration Building, Room 2339, Wayne State University, Detroit
The Wayne State Group for Early Modern Studies presents a master class for graduate students and faculty facilitated by Mary Thomas Crane, Thomas F. Rattigan Professor of English, Boston College. Professor Crane will lead a discussion of a chapter from her recent book, Losing Touch with Nature: Literature and the New Science in Sixteenth-Century England. RSVP required as seats are limited. For more information about this event, please contact the Group for Early Modern Studies at gems.symposium@gmail.com.
Academic Conference: “Shakespeare and His Culture on State and on the Page”
12:30 to 5:15 p.m., Thursday, March 10; 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Friday, March 11, David Adamany Undergraduate Library, Detroit
For the first time, Shakespeare scholars from a wide range of Michigan colleges and universities will be brought together in Detroit. This conference will explore the cultural, historical, literary and textual significance of the First Folio by examining the presence of Shakespeare’s writings in three media: stage performance, manuscript and print. Keynote speakers include David Bevington, University of Chicago, and Mary Thomas Crane, Boston College. Free and open to the public. For more information about this event, please contact Jaime Goodrich at goodrija@wayne.edu.
Wayne State Insiders Tour
Noon to 1 p.m., Tuesday, March 22, David Adamany Undergraduate Library, Wayne State University, Detroit
Join the Wayne State Insiders for a special tour of all things First Folio! This exclusive tour will take you on a guided visit with the First Folio display from the Folger Library at Wayne State, as well as an up-close experience with rare Shakespeare items from Wayne State’s own collections. From there, those on the tour will have the opportunity to visit the Second and Fourth Folios at the Detroit Public Library and the First Folio on display at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Speed Shakespeare!
Noon to 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 29, David Adamany Undergraduate Library Atrium, Wayne State University, Detroit
Come learn everything you ever wanted to know about Shakespeare’s plays and poems through informative and fun presentations and displays. Wayne State graduate students will share important background, surprising trivia and crucial highlights from several of Shakespeare’s best-known works. Audience participation is encouraged.
Film Screening: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
6 to 8 p.m., Friday, April 1, David Adamany Undergraduate Library, Bernath Auditorium, Wayne State University, Detroit
Join the Kino Club for a free screening of the film Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Based on the play by Tom Stoppard, this film centers on two minor characters from Hamlet and reimagines Shakespeare’s classic play from their perspective.
First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare is a national traveling exhibition organized by the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the 400th anniversary in 2016 of Shakespeare’s death. It is produced in association with the American Library Association and the Cincinnati Museum Center. First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare, on tour from the Folger Shakespeare Library, has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor, and by the support of Google.org, Vinton and Sigrid Cerf, and other generous donors.
About Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. The Folger welcomes millions of visitors online and in person. We provide unparalleled access to a huge array of resources, from original sources to modern interpretations. With the Folger, you can experience the power of performance, the wonder of exhibitions, and the excitement of path-breaking research. We offer the opportunity to see and work with early modern sources, driving discovery and transforming education for students of all ages. Shakespeare's world is vast. Come explore. Join us online, on the road, or in Washington, D.C. Learn more at folger.edu.