Capital Classics

10/08/2026

FOLGER's PODCAST: If you were Hamlet’s lawyer, would you advise he plead not guilty by reason of insanity? Would you consider his accidental slaying of Polonius to be murder or manslaughter? These are the kinds of questions that University of Michigan Law professor Len Niehoff asks his students to consider. Take a listen!

Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Join us online, on the road, or in Washington, DC.

10/06/2026

Are you lily-livered? One of Shakespeare’s most appealing yet perhaps underpraised talents is his ability to readily coin insults that fit the moment and the mood, from romantic banter to all-out rage. Try this quiz about a few of the many memorable insults in Shakespeare’s plays.

Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Join us online, on the road, or in Washington, DC.

10/03/2026

Join us in person or through Zoom for the start of the 13th season of our Shakespeare Book Club THIS Monday, May 3 for a discussion of "The Tempest" — Love Island!

The theme of our 2026-2027 season with the West Hartford Public Library is "TEENS MAKING SCENES — the Younger Generation in Shakespeare's Plays." Focusing on the younger generation in several of Shakespeare's plays, we'll talk about the ways the younger generation acts, talks, feels, and especially, treats each other.

Discussions are held on the first Monday of each month from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. and are held in-person at the Noah Webster Library and online through Zoom. They are free of charge and open to fans of all ages and experience levels. To join or for other inquiries, email [email protected] or [email protected]

For more info, visit capitalclassics.org/book-club.

10/02/2026

We gather together every fall to celebrate the hard work, enthusiasm, professionalism, and commitment of volunteers to our Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival. Thank you ALL for making our audience members feel welcome!

And, as part of this annual Volunteer Celebration Picnic, we recognize some MVP volunteers with the coveted Titus Andronicus Meritorious Award for going above and beyond to make the 2026 Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival such a huge success.

This year, we recognized...
- Reinhard Kage, M.D., Ph.D. for his unfailing dedication to and support of Capital Classics over the years, leading us through Covid and on the board of directors
- Kate DiBattista for her years of service and good spirits, doing whatever is needed at the Festival, Celebrate West Hartford, and Festival
- Jennifer Whalley for taking the lead on our Shakespeare Fun Night fundraising event and stocking our merch table with crowns, wands, and goodies
- Chris Whalley for jumping right in to support the Festival in the box office and taking exquisite Festival photographs

We also announced a new award this year, which was born out of the competitive (but fun) spirit of our volunteers to see who scanned the most tickets each night. This year's winner of the Peter Quince Ticket Scanner Award for greeting the most audience members over the course of the Festival went to Owen McNamara!

We could not provide such a welcoming audience experience without our dedicated volunteers. Thank you of your volunteers — and please be sure to message us if you would like to join this fun, hard-working family!

10/01/2026

Scholar Harry R. McCarthy contributes the latest essay in our series on Shakespeare's role in America's next 250 years, considering climate change through the lens of an impassioned speech by Titania in "A Midsummer Night’s Dream." The fairy queen reminds us in catastrophic times of the power in turning “our thoughts to the collective over the individual.”

Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Join us online, on the road, or in Washington, DC.

09/30/2026

Local Theatre News: Sasha Bratt, director of our recent "Midsummer" production, is the new co-artistic director at Playhouse on Park in West Hartford AND the director of the current production of THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH. It runs through October 18. Visit playhouseonpark .org for tickets and info.

09/29/2026

Join us in person or through Zoom for the start of the 13th season of our Shakespeare Book Club on Monday, May 3 for a discussion of "The Tempest" — Love Island!

The theme of our 2026-2027 season with the West Hartford Public Library is "TEENS MAKING SCENES — the Younger Generation in Shakespeare's Plays." Focusing on the younger generation in several of Shakespeare's plays, we'll talk about the ways the younger generation acts, talks, feels, and especially, treats each other.

Discussions are held on the first Monday of each month from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. and are held in-person at the Noah Webster Library and online through Zoom. They are free of charge and open to fans of all ages and experience levels. To join or for other inquiries, email [email protected] or [email protected]

For more info, visit capitalclassics.org/book-club.

09/28/2026

Shoutout to our friends: Austin Arts Center at Trinity College presents HartBeat Ensemble in Athol Fugard’s powerful South African drama A LESSON FROM ALOES. Performances begin October 8 and run through October 17 at Austin Arts Center. Learn more and get tickets at HartBeat-Ensemble .org Yahoo, Brian Jennings!

09/28/2026

Local Shakespeare News: Zachary Russell (Bottom from our "Midsummer" production) will be playing Orsino in "Twelfth Night" at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre in Storrs, CT. This production runs October 15-25 at the Nafe Katter Theatre. Visit connecticutrep.uconn. edu for tickets and info.

09/27/2026

Looking for something to listen to on a rainy Sunday?

PODCAST: How do you write a “complete” life of Shakespeare when very little complete information about his life exists? A new book from Paul Menzer, the inaugural Folger Chair in Shakespeare Studies, dives into the life story of one of history’s most editorialized yet most enigmatic figures, navigating the space between fact and fancy. Menzer joins us the Shakespeare Unlimited podcast to posit how we might connect the dots on what's missing.