Listen to a commentary on the rivalry between Junius Brutus Booth and Edmund Kean competing as interpreters of William Shakespeare's Richard III in the early 19th century
Listen to a commentary on the rivalry between Junius Brutus Booth and Edmund Kean competing as interpreters of William Shakespeare's Richard III in the early 19th century
A discussion of the transatlantic rivalry between Edmund Kean and Junius Brutus Booth as interpreters of William Shakespeare's Richard III in the early 19th century.
Courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library; CC-BY-SA 4.0 (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
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Courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library; CC-BY-SA 4.0 (A Britannica Publishing Partner)A discussion of the transatlantic rivalry between Edmund Kean and Junius Brutus Booth as interpreters of William Shakespeare's Richard III in the early 19th century.
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Courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library; CC-BY-SA 4.0 (A Britannica Publishing Partner)A look at a tunic worn by the 19th-century actor Edwin Booth in the role of Shakespeare's Richard III. The tunic is emblazoned with the arms of the historical king Richard III.
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Courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library; CC-BY-SA 4.0 (A Britannica Publishing Partner)The cast and crew of a Folger Shakespeare Library production of Othello offering insight into the play's language.
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Courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library; CC-BY-SA 4.0 (A Britannica Publishing Partner)William Shakespeare's Othello is discussed by the cast and crew of a Folger Shakespeare Library production of the play.
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Courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library; CC-BY-SA 4.0 (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Teacher tips on how to avoid problems while introducing Shakespeare to elementary students.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Learn about how Lady Macbeth goads her husband into fulfilling his oath to kill Duncan in William Shakespeare's Macbeth; an excerpt of Act I, scene 7, from a 1964 film produced by Encyclopædia Britannica Educational Corporation.
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Courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library; CC-BY-SA 4.0 (A Britannica Publishing Partner)A teacher explains why Macbeth is her favourite Shakespeare play to teach.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Maynard Mack of Yale University using a model of the Globe Theatre to discuss performance in William Shakespeare's day.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Julius Caesar muses to Mark Antony about Cassius, “Let me have men about me that are fat,” in Act I, scene 2, of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING] ROBERT RICHMOND: Hi, I'm Robert Richmond, Director of the Folger's production of Richard III.
There is so much happening in this image that the more I look the more I enjoy it. While it's open to many interpretations, my reading has always been that this piece is more than just a commentary on the storied rivalry between Junius Brutus Booth and Edmund Kean competing in the early 19th century in warring productions of Richard III. A closer look at the red faced cigar smoking manager, the patent clapping machine, and the box office man tallying up the tape suggests a struggle with the commercialization of theater at this time. The deeply felt rivalry served neither actors nor audience, only the management who lined their pockets with the proceeds.
As a British born director staging Richard III at the Folger the clash between these two performers always reminds me of that familiar tussle of ownership over Shakespeare between the UK and the US. Edmund Kean was the greatest British actor of his generation. Booth, though a native Englishman, was soon to become the most prominent actor in the United States.
What I find so relevant about this cartoon is that here at the Folger I have found the place where this conflict has been fully resolved. In this remarkable institution, the universality of Shakespeare, his work, and his relevance is housed under one roof.
There is so much happening in this image that the more I look the more I enjoy it. While it's open to many interpretations, my reading has always been that this piece is more than just a commentary on the storied rivalry between Junius Brutus Booth and Edmund Kean competing in the early 19th century in warring productions of Richard III. A closer look at the red faced cigar smoking manager, the patent clapping machine, and the box office man tallying up the tape suggests a struggle with the commercialization of theater at this time. The deeply felt rivalry served neither actors nor audience, only the management who lined their pockets with the proceeds.
As a British born director staging Richard III at the Folger the clash between these two performers always reminds me of that familiar tussle of ownership over Shakespeare between the UK and the US. Edmund Kean was the greatest British actor of his generation. Booth, though a native Englishman, was soon to become the most prominent actor in the United States.
What I find so relevant about this cartoon is that here at the Folger I have found the place where this conflict has been fully resolved. In this remarkable institution, the universality of Shakespeare, his work, and his relevance is housed under one roof.