“O brave new world, that has such people in’t!”
This famous quote — and a multitude of others that have grabbed attention for centuries — would have vanished into obscurity were it not for Shakespeare’s First Folio, also known as “Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies.”
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Published by his colleagues in 1623, just seven years after his death, it is the only source of 18 of Shakespeare’s 39 plays, including “The Tempest,” “Macbeth,” “Twelfth Night” and “As You Like It.”
Now an original copy of the First Folio will be on display when the exhibition “First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare,” on tour from the Folger Shakespeare Library, makes its first stop at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Jan. 6 to Feb. 7. The exhibition marks the 400th anniversary of the great playwright’s death.
Additional materials on display from the University of Oregon Special Collections and University Archives include the second and fourth folios of Shakespeare’s collected works, the first folio of the works of playwright Ben Jonson, and illustrations for an edition of “The Tempest” by British artist Walter Crane.
To earn the right to host the folio, the UO successfully made the case that it could provide suitable security for the rare work — of which there are only 233 known copies — and associate professor of English Lara Bovilsky came up with a fascinating series of Shakespeare-related programs both for the public and for visiting school groups.
A free opening gala, titled “Sweetly Writ: Oregon Shakespeare Festival Celebrates Shakespeare’s First Folio,” will be held Jan. 9 at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. Actors from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival will perform excerpts from Shakespeare’s own changing versions of King Lear, showing how the Bard of Avon envisioned different variations on the same characters and scenes.
A celebratory reception will follow, including Renaissance music and treats. Two UO students will circulate wearing costumes designed by UO professor emerita Alexandra Bonds, which have been showcased in theater design exhibits around the world.
Other events include a Jan. 10 screening of “Shakespeare Behind Bars,” a documentary that follows a theater troupe of convicted felons as they perform “The Tempest” — a play largely about the dangers of social isolation — at a prison in Kentucky; performances of choral music using Shakespeare’s words; and a Jan. 29 lecture by Bovilsky, titled “Creating Shakespeares: The First Folio and its Afterlives.” A full list of events and related programs can be found at https://jsma.uoregon.edu/ShakespeareEvents.
An even larger exhibit will be on display at the Knight Library, featuring numerous items from the UO Libraries Special Collections and University Archives. Cases will display the stages of Shakespeare’s fame — or lack of it — over the centuries; his rewriting of various plays; fan fiction written by 19th century authors; and more.The library exhibit will be on display through the end of March.
Through the museum’s educational literary-based programs, hundreds of Oregon high school students will visit campus to learn about Shakespeare and the power of creative expression. UO Department of English faculty members will also have an opportunity to meet with regional high school teachers to discuss how students’ can transition from high school literature curriculums to college-level English classes.
Museum admission is free for the duration of the exhibition.