A Year of Shakespeare Comes Full Circle
By Erin Doherty
2016 was the Year of Shakespeare in Wisconsin . What a year it was , with the University of Wisconsin – Madison Libraries leading the effort to bring William Shakespeare ’ s work and legacy to the state like never before . After months of Shakespeare-themed events , the Libraries , along with their partners the Chazen Museum of Art and the UW – Madison Arts Institute , welcomed Shakespeare ’ s First Folio to campus in the fall . With the Chazen serving as the official exhibition host , the community enjoyed the First Folio , along with several supplementary exhibits hosted at the Chazen and the Department of Special Collections .
The celebrations leading up to the Folio ’ s arrival included events like performances of Shakespeare ’ s plays by American Player ’ s Theatre and “ Holding History ” sessions hosted by UW – Madison English professor Joshua Calhoun . Susan Barribeau , the UW – Madison English Language and Humanities Librarian who served as Project Manager for Shakespeare in Wisconsin , reported that the success of the yearlong efforts exceeded her expectations .
“ Our outreach was very successful , creating new connections with K-12 groups , theatre companies , campus student groups , and faculty members ,” she said . “ I was extremely pleased with the programs and collaborations that occurred during the Year of Shakespeare .”
The Folio exhibition itself attracted nearly 20,000 visitors , including hundreds of students of all ages from Wisconsin schools . Barribeau praised the Chazen Museum in particular for its contributions and exhibition of the Folio .
6 | LIBRARIES Summer 2017