James Shapiro News

Shakespeare's Curse, a new documentary about William Shakespeare's final resting place, joins encore presentations of the six installments of Season Two of Shakespeare Uncovered(consecutive Fridays beginning April 8)

In a major theatrical event marking the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death, BAM, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and The Ohio State University present the US Premiere of Shakespeare's History plays in KING AND COUNTRY: SHAKESPEARE'S GREAT CYCLE OF KINGS. Following performances at the Barbican, and in China in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, the plays are directed by RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran and performed in repertory at the BAM Harvey Theater from tonight, Mar 24, through May 1, 2016.

In a major theatrical event marking the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death, BAM, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and The Ohio State University present the US Premiere of Shakespeare's History plays in KING AND COUNTRY: SHAKESPEARE'S GREAT CYCLE OF KINGS. Following performances at the Barbican, and in China in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, the plays are directed by RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran and performed in repertory at the BAM Harvey Theater from Mar 24 through May 1, 2016.

Irondale Ensemble, one of the country's longest-standing research theater companies, will premiere its 2015-2016 headlining work, The 1599 Project, April 30-May 28, 2016. Bridging four Shakespeare plays in one four-hour mega-text, 1599 refers to the seminal year in Shakespeare's life where he claimed the prominent role of playwright, having written Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, and the first draft of Hamlet.

At a ceremony at the Garrick Club today, James Shapiro was awarded the Sheridan Morley Prize for Theatre Biography for 1606 William Shakespeare and the Year of Lear.

The Old Globe and the San Diego Public Library were selected last year to co-host the only stop in California for FIRST FOLIO! THE BOOK THAT GAVE US SHAKESPEARE, on tour from the Folger Shakespeare Library, a national traveling exhibition organized by the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death.

Letter of Marque Theater Company will host a series of satellite events designed to empower women theater artists and ignite conversation in conjunction with their production of William Shakespeare's and John Fletcher'sDOUBLE FALSEHOOD, directed by Andrew Borthwick-Leslie, and playing a five-week limited engagement from Saturday, March 5th through Saturday, April 9th, 2015 at The Irondale Center (85 S. Oxford St. Brooklyn, NY 11217).

The Sheridan Morley Prize for Theatre Biography 2015 shortlist has been revealed. The contenders are Peter Whitebrook for John Osborne Anger is not about..., James Shapiro for 1606 William Shakespeare and the Year of Lear, David Hare for The Blue Touch Paper, Qais Akbar Omar and Stephen Landrigan for A Night in the Emperor's Garden and Michael Pennington for Let Me Play The Lion/How to Be an Actor.

The hip hop musical is the winner of the Kennedy Prize for Historical Drama. The news was announced by Columbia University and Jean Kennedy Smith. The award, named in honor of Senator Edward M. Kennedy

An all-new episode of THEATER TALK features portraits of times and personalities - William Shakespeare in the year 1606, and New York nightlife newspaper columnist Leonard Lyons in the 40-year period between 1934 and 1974.

After a period of brisk advance sales to Members, the Stratford Festival is opening its box office to the public this Friday, January 8.

It's written in blank verse, contains soliloquies and even has a ghost, but is Mike Bartlett's future history play really Shakespearean?

This year,legendary playwright, singer, editor and translator and Theatre Hall of Fame inductee Eric Bentley turned 99 years old. In celebration of this milestone and a century of his contributions to the international theatre world, a special one night-only birthday celebration has been announced: 'Happy Birthday, Eric Bentley! A Centennial Tribute Concert' will take place on December 7, 2015 at 8:00 PM.

Professor James Shapiro of Columbia University chimes in with a New York Times op ed piece opposing the idea.

One of the country's longest-standing research theater ensembles, Irondale, will headline its 34th season with Irondale Ensemble's epic staging of The 1599 Project, eight years in the making. The 2015-2016 Season also marks a new milestone for Irondale as it unveils the theatre's new presenting series. Irondale will present California's The Independent Eye Theater Company in their New York premiere of King Lear, October 12-13; a newly curated cabaret series, kicking off on October 16 with First Takes, an improvised preview of 1599 in development; and the sixth annual FLICfest, a festival of full-length evening works of six emerging choreographers, January 21-23 and 28-30.

This month, legendary playwright, singer, editor and translator and Theatre Hall of Fame inductee Eric Bentley turned 99 years old. In celebration of this milestone and a century of his contributions to the international theatre world, a special one night-only birthday celebration has been announced: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ERIC BENTLEY! A CENTENNIAL TRIBUTE CONCERT will take place on December 7, 2015 at 8:00 PM.

Acclaimed classical actor John Douglas Thompson will receive the Samuel H. Scripps Award for Extraordinary Commitment to Promoting the Power of Language In Classical and Contemporary Theatre at Theatre for a New Audience's Spring Gala Celebrating Shakespeare's Birthday. The celebration, Monday, May 11, is at Capitale, 130 Bowery on the Lower East Side.

Theatre for a New Audience, Jeffrey Horowitz, Founding Artistic Director, will present four panel discussions entitled 'Celebrating Christopher Marlowe' in conjunction with its epic production now on stage of Marlowe's 1587 Tamburlaine, Parts I and II, edited and directed by Olivier Award-winner Michael Boyd and starring John Douglas Thompson heading a cast of 19 performing 60 roles.

Theatre for a New Audience, Jeffrey Horowitz, Founding Artistic Director, will present four panel discussions entitled 'Celebrating Christopher Marlowe' in conjunction with its epic production now on stage of Marlowe's 1587 Tamburlaine, Parts I and II, edited and directed by Olivier Award-winner Michael Boyd and starring John Douglas Thompson heading a cast of 19 performing 60 roles.

The Public Theater presents the free one-night event, PUBLIC FORUM: SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICA, tonight, June 30 at 8:00 p.m. at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Whitney Bashor, Annette Bening, Jessica Chastain, author E.L. Doctorow, Jackie Hoffman, Justin Levine, Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson, and Micah Stock join this exciting evening, which will celebrate Shakespeare and the newly released Library of America book, Shakespeare in America, edited by Public Theater Shakespeare Scholar in Residence James Shapiro.