First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare – Kentucky

First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare was a touring exhibition from the Folger Shakespeare Library that visited one location in all 50 United States, Puerto Rico, and Washington DC in 2016 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.


This article provides highlights from the exhibition’s visit to Kentucky.

Exhibition Location: Louisville, Kentucky

Exhibition Venue: Frazier History Museum, University of Louisville, and Louisville Free Public Library

Exhibition Dates: November 10, 2016 – December 10, 2016


Partner Organizations:

  • 21C Museum
  • Actors Theatre of Louisville
  • Alley Theatre
  • Asia Institute Crane House
  • The Bard’s Town
  • Bellarmine University
  • Carnegie Center for Art & History
  • Center Stage
  • CirqueLouis
  • Commonwealth Theatre Center
  • Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site
  • Dreams With Wings
  • English Speaking Union
  • Frazier History Museum
  • Filson Historical Society
  • Fund for the Arts
  • Jefferson County Public Schools
  • Josephine SummerStage
  • Kentucky Historical Society
  • Kentucky Humanities Council
  • Kentucky Opera
  • Kentucky Philological Association
  • Kentucky Science Center
  • Kentucky Shakespeare
  • Locust Grove Historic Home
  • Looking for Lilith Theatre Company
  • Louisville Ballet
  • Louisville Classical Academy
  • Louisville Improvisors
  • Louisville Literary Arts
  • Louisville Orchestra
  • Louisville Slugger Museum
  • Louisville Water Tower Park
  • Metro Louisville
  • Muhammad Ali Center
  • Savage Rose Theatre
  • Shakespeare Behind Bars
  • Sister Cities of Louisville
  • Sons of the American Revolution
  • Speed Art Museum
  • StageOne Family Theatre
  • Youth Performing Arts School


Complementary Exhibitions:

  • Shakespeare in Kentucky, October 10, 2016 – December 10, 2016
    • This exhibition explores the history of Shakespeare and Shakespearean performances in Kentucky. It will include rarely seen photographs and artifacts from the collections of the Filson Historical Society, University of Lousiville Archives and Special Collections, and the Kentucky Historical Society. On display at the Louisville Free Public Library.
  • Shakespeare & Art, August 1, 2016 – October 24, 2016
    • On display at the Bridwell Art Library at the University of Louisville, 19th Century photography, paintings and graphic art capturing Shakespeare in architecture, costume, painting, and typography. This free exhibit showcases Shakespeare Rare Print Collection, by Seymour Eaton, a rare art book printed in 1900. Learn how clothing was an indication of class rank during Shakespeare’s lifetime, and how paintings and prints popularized Shakespeare’s plays to the general public. Many of the 19th century theatrical broadsides broke contemporary typographic “rules” by using fonts of wildly different sizes. Architecture is another interesting lens through which people can consider Shakespeare’s works, with art prints revealing the dramatic backdrops where his plays were set.
  • Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair: Shakespeare in Baseball Photography, November 10, 2016 – December 10, 2016
    • Combining beautiful baseball photographs with quotes from Shakespeare, this photo exhibit is sure to be very fair indeed! A wonderful complement to the Folio across the street at Frazier.
  • Shakespeare Gets ShakesWEIRD: Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Shakespeare Display, November 10, 2016 – December 10, 2016
    • Shakespeare gets ShakesWEIRD as we display some Shakespeare themed pieces from Ripley’s collection to join our Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Oddball exhibition. A wonderful complement to the Folio across the street at Frazier.
  • Books of Shakespeare’s Time, November 1, 2016 – December 23, 2016
    • On display at the Archives and Special Collections, Ekstrom Library, The University of Louisville


Event List:

  • September 16-17, 2016 – Savage Rose presents Titus Andronicus: A Radio Play
  • September 17-18, 2016 – The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory and Kentucky Shakespeare presents: The Shakespearean Baseball Game: A Comedy of Errors, Hits, and Runs
  • October 5-26, 2016 – Macbeth performed by Actors Theatre of Louisville
  • October 10, 2016 – The ACC Distinguished Lecture: Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories & Tragedies, Professor Peter Holland, McNeel Professor of Shakespeare Studies, the University of Notre Dame
  • October 13-15, 2016 – King Lear performed by the University of Louisville Theatre Arts
  • October 15-26, 2016 – Macbeth performed by Actors Theatre of Louisville
  • October 17, 2016 – Shakespeare in the World/The World in Shakespeare, Professors Matthew Biberman and Hristomir Stanev of the University of Louisville, in collaboration with Louisville Sister Cities, Inc.
  • October 18, 2016 – Shakespeare & the Creation of the Modern Era Short Course, offered by Professor Julia Dietrich
  • October 25, 2016 – Shakespeare & the Creation of the Modern Era Short Course, offered by Professor Julia Dietrich
  • November 1, 2016 – Shakespeare & the Creation of the Modern Era Short Course, offered by Professor Julia Dietrich
  • November 3, 2016 – Shakespeare in the Age of Revolution: 18th Century Performance, presented by Kentucky Shakespeare
  • November 4, 2016 – Music of Shakespeare’s London, by University of Louisville’s Early Music Ensemble
  • November 5, 2016 – December 17, 2016 – Kentucky Shakespeare presents Shakespeare in the Libraries, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
  • November 8, 2016 – Shakespeare & the Creation of the Modern Era Short Course, offered by Professor Julia Dietrich
  • November 10-20, 2016 – King Lear performed by the University of Louisville Theatre Arts Department
  • November 10-26, 2016 – The Alley Theatre presents The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
  • November 11, 2016 – Shakespeare as Statesman: Leadership Lessons from the Bard, Dr. Khalil Habib of Salve Regina University, presented by the McConnell Center and the Sons of the American Revolution
  • November 12, 2016 – First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare Teacher Professional Development
  • November 12, 2016 – Lecture, The Author Being Dead: Bu(r)ying and Selling Shakespeare, presented by Professor Adam Hooks of the University of Iowa Center for the Book
  • November 12, 2016 – Frazier Museum’s Shakespeare! Second Saturday Family Program
  • November 12, 2016 – Shakespeare in the Age of Revolution: 18th Century Performance presented by Kentucky Shakespeare
  • November 13, 2016 – Sonnets on a Sunday, presented at the Water Tower, a special collaboration between the University of Louisville Department of English and Walden/Blue Apple Players
  • November 14, 2016 – Speaking from the Heart: Monologues and Soliloquies from Shakespeare’s First Folio
  • November 15, 2016 – Shakespeare: From Page to the Stage Teacher Professional Development
  • November 15, 2016 – Shakespeare & the Creation of the Modern Era Short Course, offered by Professor Julia Dietrich
  • November 16, 2016 – Shakespeare’s First Folio Homeschool Program
  • November 17, 2016 - The 2016 Phi Beta Kappa Lecture: Shakespeare in America, Professor James Shapiro, Larry Miller Professor of English, Columbia University
  • November 18-20, 2016 – Shakespeare in Music, by The Louisville Orchestra
  • November 30 – December 4, 2016 – The Youth Performing Arts School presents Hamlet
  • November 30, 2016 – Film Screening, Shakespeare’s Life Behind Bars
  • December 1-4, 2016 – Twelfth Night, presented by University of Louisville’s Studio Theatre Company
  • December 4, 2016 – Savage Rose Classical Theatre Company presents Words Words Words Play Reading Series: Double Falsehood, or The Distrest Lovers by Lewis Theobald


Click here to learn about the First Folio that visited Kentucky.