Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Rare First Edition of Shakespeare's Plays Coming to NYC This Summer

By Emily Frost | April 25, 2016 4:12pm
 The FIrst Folio was published in 1623 to teach future generations about Shakespeare's plays.
The FIrst Folio was published in 1623 to teach future generations about Shakespeare's plays.
View Full Caption
New-York Historical Society

UPPER WEST SIDE — A rare first-edition collection of William Shakespeare's plays that is currently touring the world will make its only stop in the state at the Upper West Side's New-York Historical Society this summer. 

Coinciding with the 400th anniversary of The Bard's death, the traveling exhibit "First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare," on tour from the Folger Shakespeare Library, will make its only New York stop at the museum from June 7 to July 17.  

Two of Shakespeare's actors compiled the "First Folio," a collection of 36 plays, and published it in 1623, with the goal of preserving Shakespeare's work and introducing it to future generations, according to the museum.

Visitors can view the rare text and also participate in activities hosted by the museum in collaboration with The Public Theater and the 92nd Street Y, with whom it's partnering for the exhibition. 

As part of the exhibition, actors will bring the plays to life in performances geared toward children and adults, speakers like Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand will discuss Shakespeare's influence, and classes will prepare audiences for the 2016 season of "Shakespeare in the Park," among other events. 

As a museum devoted to American history, the New-York Historical Society will also focus on President Abraham Lincoln's affinity for The Bard, said museum president and CEO Louise Mirrer.

A June 2 event will feature actors performing Lincoln's favorite soliloquies, which the former president recited often, and historian Harold Holzer will delve into Lincoln's relationship with Shakespeare.

With the exhibit, "we hope to offer a deeper understanding of Shakespeare, his influence on American history, and a keen awareness of the evolution of his work from the First Folio to contemporary interpretations,” Mirrer said.

Subscribe to DNAinfo's Upper West Side podcast: