Folger Theatre

Folger Shakespeare Library, opened in 1932, featured the first replica in North America of an Elizabethan theater, a 250-seat space  designed to suggest the innyard playing spaces. Founders Henry Clay and Emily Jordan Folger envisioned the Elizabethan Theatre as a place for the performance of the plays in Shakespeare’s style, and the first nationally televised broadcast of a Shakespeare play in the US was Julius Caesar from the Folger stage in 1949.

The award-winning Folger Theatre in our nation’s capital bridges the arts and humanities through transformational performances and programming that speak inclusively to the human experience.

Leadership and mission

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Karen Ann Daniels, Folger Theatre continues its legacy through exciting interpretations and adaptations of Shakespeare and expands the classical canon through cultivating today’s artists and commissioning new work that is in dialogue with the concerns and issues of our time. Folger Theatre thrives both on its historical stage and in the community, engaging audiences wherever they happen to be.

Folger Theatre has collaborated with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, RoundHouse Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Theatre J, The DC Public Library System, the Classical Theatre of Harlem, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Guthrie, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Third Rail Projects and other theaters across the country.

Folger Theatre is the recipient of 30 Helen Hayes Awards including four for Outstanding Resident Production for Sense and Sensibility, The Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, and Measure for Measure.

Listen to five plays performed by Folger Theatre available as Folger Audio Editions through Simon & Schuster on audio CD or as a download.

About Folger Theatre

Karen Peakes (Isabella), Michele Osherow (Mariana), Ian Merrill Peakes (Angelo), Measure for Measure, directed by Aaron Posner, Folger Theatre, 2006. Carol Pratt.

Highlights from Folger Theatre’s producing history include numerous Helen Hayes Awards nominations and wins. Nominees for outstanding resident play: Sense and Sensibility (2016): recipient, The Taming of the Shrew (Folger Theatre, 2012): recipient, Hamlet (Folger Theatre, 2010): recipient, Henry VIII (Folger Theatre, 2010), Arcadia (Folger Theatre, 2009) Macbeth (Folger Theatre, 2008), Measure for Measure (Folger Theatre, 2006): recipient, The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Folger Theatre, 2004), Melissa Arctic (Folger Theatre, 2004), She Stoops to Conquer (Folger Theatre, 2002), Shakespeare’s R & J (Folger Theatre, 2000), Much Ado About Nothing (Folger Theatre, 1998), and Romeo and Juliet (Folger Theatre, 1997).

In collaboration, Folger Theatre produced with The Classical Theatre of Harlem a sell-out King Lear (Folger Theatre, 2007) starring André DeShields, with Two River Theater Company staged two productions—a magical Macbeth (Folger Theatre, 2008) co-directed by Teller and Aaron Posner and the world premiere of Anne Washburn’s adaptation Orestes, A Tragic Romp (Folger Theatre, 2010)— and with Fiasco Theatre produced The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Fiasco Theater, 2014). Folger Theatre has also partnered with Shakespeare's Globe, London to mount productions of Hamlet (Shakespeare's Globe, 2012), Hamlet (Shakespeare's Globe, 2014), and King Lear (Shakespeare's Globe, 2014).

Exhibitions at the Folger inspire memorable productions like David Garrick’s The Clandestine Marriage (Folger Theatre, 2005), Maxwell Anderson’s Elizabeth the Queen (Folger Theatre, 2003) which starred Michael Learned, and Henry VIII (Folger Theatre, 2010). Cross-disciplinary projects with Folger Consort—such as The Second Shepherds' Play: A Medieval Mystery for the Yuletide Season (2007, 2016), Brave New World: Music of the Tempest (2014), Measure+Dido (2016), and Purcell’s The Fairy Queen (2007) with Sir Derek Jacobi, Richard Clifford, and Lynn Redgrave—take advantage of the Folger’s unique resources. Folger Theatre not only produces Shakespeare’s classics but is also a stage for new plays, including Theresa Rebeck The Way of the World, Texts&beheadings/ElizabethR, the Reduced Shakespeare Company's William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged), Roger Rees’ What You Will: By and About the Bard (Folger Theatre, 2007) and Lynn Redgrave’s Shakespeare for My Father (Folger Shakespeare Library, 1991) and Rachel and Juliet: An Evening with Lynn Redgrave (Folger Theatre, 2009).

For more information about the Folger Theatre's performance space, read our article on the Folger's Elizabethan Theatre.

Affiliations

Folger Theatre employs members of Actors' Equity Association, the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and United Scenic Artists. It is a member of Blue Star Theatres, Cultural Tourism DC, CulturalCapital, theatreWashington, Theatre Communications Group, and Shakespeare Theatre Association.

2025 Season

Visit the Folger Box Office to order your tickets for the 2025 season.

Past seasons

2020s

• Twelfth Night May 13-June 22, 2025

• A Room in the Castle March 4-April 6, 2025

• The Reading Room Festival 2025 January 30-February 2, 2025

• Romeo and Juliet October 1-November 10. 2024

• Metamorphoses May 7-June 23, 2024

• Where We Belong February 15-March 10, 2024

• The Reading Room Festival 2024 January 25-28, 2024

• The Winter's Tale November 5-December 17, 2023

• Our Verse in Time to Come April 3-30, 2023

• The Reading Room January 19-21, 2023

• The Tempest Round House Theatre November 23, 2022-January 29, 2023

• A Midsummer Night's Dream July 12 – August 28, 2022
• Where We Belong National Film and National Tour 2021-2023

• Nathan The Wise in association with Theater J March 16 – April 10, 2022

• The Merry Wives of Windsor January - March, 2020

2010s

• Amadeus November - December, 2019

• 1 Henry IV September - October, 2019

• Love's Labor's Lost April - June, 2019

• Confection March, 2019

• Nell Gwynn January - March, 2019

• King John October - December, 2018

• Davenant's Macbeth September, 2018

• Saint Joan May - June, 2018

• The Winters Tale March - April, 2018

• The Way of the World January - February, 2018

• Antony and Cleopatra October - November, 2017

• Timon of Athens May - June, 2017

• As You Like It January - March, 2017

• Sense and Sensibility September - October, 2016

• District Merchants May - July, 2016

• William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (Abridged) April - May, 2016

• A Midsummer Night's Dream January - March, 2016

• Pericles November - December, 2015

• texts&beheadings/ElizabethR (Compagnia de'Colombari) September - October, 2015

• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead May - June, 2015

• Mary Stuart January - March, 2015

• Julius Caesar October - December, 2014

• King Lear (Shakespeare's Globe) September 5-21, 2014

• Hamlet (Shakespeare's Globe) July 25-26, 2014

• A Midsummer Night's Dream: In Concert May - June, 2014

• Cymbeline (Fiasco Theater) May - June, 2014

• The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Fiasco Theater) April - May, 2014

• Richard III January - March, 2014

• Romeo and Juliet October - December, 2013

• Robben Island Bible June 3, 2013

• Twelfth Night April - June, 2013

• Henry V January - March, 2013

• The Conference of the Birds October - November, 2012

• Hamlet (Shakespeare's Globe) September 8-22, 2012

• The Taming of the Shrew May - June, 2012

• The Gaming Table January - March, 2012

• Othello October - December, 2011

• Cyrano April - June, 2011

• The Comedy of Errors January - March, 2011

• Henry VIII October - November, 2010

• Hamlet April - June, 2010

• Orestes, A Tragic Romp January - March, 2010

2000s

• Much Ado About Nothing October - November, 2009

• Arcadia May - June, 2009

• Rachel and Juliet: An Evening with Lynn Redgrave April 10-12, 2009

• The Winter's Tale January - March, 2009

• 1 Henry IV October - November, 2008

• The School for Scandal May - June, 2008

• Macbeth February - April, 2008

• As You Like It October - November, 2007

• The Tempest May - June, 2007

• What You Will: By and About the Bard March - April, 2007

• 365 Days / 365 Plays: Suzan-Lori Parks Project

• King Lear January - February, 2007

• A Midsummer Night's Dream October - November, 2006

• The Game of Love and Chance April - May, 2006

• Measure for Measure January - February, 2006

• Much Ado About Nothing October - November, 2005

• The Clandestine Marriage April - May, 2005

• Romeo and Juliet January - February, 2005

• The Two Gentlemen of Verona November - December, 2004

• The Comedy of Errors April - May, 2004

• Melissa Arctic January - February, 2004

• All's Well That Ends Well October - November, 2003

• Elizabeth the Queen March - May, 2003

• Twelfth Night January - February, 2003

• Love's Labor's Lost (Shenandoah Shakespeare Express) November - December, 2002

• Othello May - June, 2002

• She Stoops to Conquer February - March, 2002

• Macbeth October - December, 2001

• As You Like It May - June, 2001

• A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shenandoah Shakespeare Express) February - March, 2001

• The Tempest October - December, 2000

• Julius Caesar (Aquila Theater Company) May - June, 2000

• Shakespeare's R & J February - March, 2000

1990s

• Hamlet October - December, 1999

• The Night of the Burning Pestle (Shenandoah Shakespeare Express) May - June, 1999

• Macbeth (Shenandoah Shakespeare Express) May - June, 1999

• The Dresser April - May, 1999

• Much Ado About Nothing November - December, 1998

• The Taming of the Shrew (Shenandoah Shakespeare Express) June - July, 1998

• Richard III (Shenandoah Shakespeare Express) June - July, 1998

• Measure for Measure (Shenandoah Shakespeare Express) June - July, 1998

• Mad About the Bard May 13-31, 1998

• Casting Juliet/Playing Othello January - February, 1998

• Romeo and Juliet November - December, 1997

• Love's Labor's Lost (Shenandoah Shakespeare Express) May - June, 1997

• Henry IV, Part I (Shenandoah Shakespeare Express) May - June, 1997

• A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shenandoah Shakespeare Express) May - June, 1997

• Ordo Virtutum January 10-11, 1997

• A Child's Christmas in Wales and Other Lands (Interact Theatre Company) November - December, 1996

• As You Like It (Interact Theatre Company) April - May, 1996

• Njinga the Queen King February 8-18, 1996

• Standup Shakespeare November 7-19, 1995

• The Merchant of Venice (Source Theatre Company) June 3-25, 1995

• Private Lives (with Interact Theatre Company) February - March, 1995

• Richard III (with The Travelling Shakespeare Company) January 11-29, 1995

• The Snow Queen (The Hudson Vagabond Puppets) December 9-11, 1994

• The History of America (abridged) (The Reduced Shakespeare Company) November - December, 1994

• Shakespearean Women: A Theatre Festival October - November, 1994

• Standup Shakespeare (Alabama Shakespeare Festival) March 18 - April 2, 1994

• Romeo and Juliet (Shenandoah Shakespeare Express) June - July, 1993

• Antony and Cleopatra (Shenandoah Shakespeare Express) June - July, 1993

• A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shenandoah Shakespeare Express) June - July, 1993

• Joyicity June 10-12, 1993

• Suppliant Women (with Stanford University) April 13-16, 1993

• My Astonishing Self March 2, 1993

• A Midsummer Night's Dream (The Travelling Shakespeare Company) February 2-8, 1993

• The Cure of Troy (with SCENA Theatre) June 4, 1992

• Reminiscences of the Redgrave Family on the Shakespearean Stage December 3, 1991