Shakespeare's Birthday Lecture

The bard's birthday is coming up and that means the Folger Shakespeare Library is throwing their annual celebration. First up is a lecture by Alan Stewart entitled "How Shakespeare Made History," on April 21 at 8 p.m. in the Elizabethan Theatre. It's on — wait for it — Shakespearean kings and how he made them! How fun!

Next up is the birthday party on April 27 from 12-4 p.m. I'm copying these highlights from the press release because I could not do a better job articulating them.

• A cake-cutting ceremony in honor of Shakespeare presided over by Queen Elizabeth I at 3:30pm on the front lawn of the Folger.
  
  
• Free children's activities and Elizabethan crafts, including:

Shakespearean fortune-telling;

quill pen writing;

brooch-making;

felt pendant-making;

potpourri-making; and

ivy garland-making.

• Elizabethan games for young and old merry-makers.
  


• Tours of the reading rooms—this is the one day of the year the reading rooms are open to the public. View Flemish tapestries from the 16th Century, paintings from scenes of the Bard’s plays, and the famed "Seven Ages of Man" stained glass window.
  
  
• Explore the Elizabethan Garden filled with plants popular in Shakespeare’s time and mentioned in his plays and Shakespeare-inspired statues by American artist Greg Wyatt. Docent-led tours plus a plant sale!