A hugely heartening story out of Detroit, where Sam White, artistic Director of Shakespeare in Detroit has with pluck and vision pushed forward her vision of Shakespeare as part of Detroit's revival. Taking cues from Jospeh Papp and his seminal work with the Public Theater in the 1970s, she has swooped in, staged performances in crumbling spaces, and now created a growing alliance with Aamir Farooqi, head of Banyan Investments. Read more here ..read more

Mere weeks after the bizarre incident of being "job shamed", former Cosby actor Geoffrey Owens was spotted performing works of Shakespeare in Montclair, New Jersey. Shakespeare is Owens' first love. And we love that. Play on! More ..read more

In yet another indicator of Shakespeare's influence and reach, a project to build a replica of Shakespeare's hometown is now underway. In addition to celebrating the life of the Bard, Sanweng (meaning "Three Masters") the town will highlight the works of Tang Xianzu, and Miguel de Cervantes. By happy (for us) coincidence, all three master poet/playwrights died the same year, 1616. More ..read more

This is an absolutely fascinating story out of China. The Chinese government is cracking down on the incorrect use of standard words in the Chinese language — what we might term "wordplay". The putative cause is the potential for "cultural and linguistic chaos". Some observers see something darker, an attempt perhaps to limit political dissent through the clever use of language and puns. Shakespeare would be red in the face, had he read such things ..read more

England's David Tennant is considered a wide ranging and talented performer, and after making his name in the iconic Dr. Who Sci Fi series, went on to reprise several Shakespeare roles. Here, he answers Stephen Colbert's question — why Shakespeare ..read more

There are many "little known fact" lists about Shakespeare on the web, but this one had some delightful (and awful) revelations, including the fact that one of the 20th Century's most notorious dictators and mass murderers wanted to put on a Shakespeare production. Can you guess the dictator, and his chosen play? Read on ..read more

A wonderful collection of vignettes about Shakespeare and New York City, including the infamous Astor Place Riots of 1849, when it seems people really cared about their Shakespeare, to the point of killing each other ..read more

Siobhan Thompson shows how to mobilize Shakespeare's language to proper effect. Funny, and erudite ..read more

Harvard Professor Stephen Greenblatt's new book "Tyrant", is out, and has received another smart review. While leveling a few criticisms, reviewer Charles McNulty praises the book for deftly suggesting which of Shakespeare's plays best help inform our current political climate. There are some genuinely interesting insights, and one is reminded yet again of the sheer depth of Shakespeare's insights into the human condition, in this case, around the idea of how we are ruled, and what drives our rulers. Read the article to see where McNulty thinks Greenblatt got things right, and where he think ..read more

The most famous — and only — more or less true to life portrait of William Shakespeare is the so-called Chandos Portrait (above.) It has immortalized the now iconic balding pate, earring, and flowing hair and beard. The portrait itself has a fascinating history, but this article talks about the future restoration of the picture, and what the art restorers dare — and do not dare — do, to bring it back to its original glory. Well worth a read ..read more