Shakespeare Without Fear

On April 23, 1864, in celebration of Shakespeare’s 300th birthday, a group of prominent New Yorkers wished to commemorate the tricentennial by erecting a statue.  As part of the project’s fundraising effort, New York theatregoers joyfully witnessed an historic event. T...

When do self-fulfilling prophecies become self-defeating?

Superstitions among actors are legion, e.g. it’s bad luck to say “good luck,” green is unlucky to wear on stage, misfortune follows when someone whistles in a dressing room. Although the list is seemingly endles...

Who were Ralph Crane and Edward Knight and why should we care?

Did the edition of Shakespeare’s play that you are studying morph lovingly from his quill pen to the text you are holding in front of you on the subway? Not really. In Elizabethan times, a working draft of...