Shakespeare on Stage

A sample of upcoming productions around the world.

Atlanta Shakespeare Company, The Merry Wives of Windsor. To Apr. 1, 2012.
American Shakespeare Center, Much Ado about Nothing. To Apr. 8, 2012.
American Shakespeare Center, Richard III. To Apr. 5, 2012.
Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF, Romeo and Juliet. To Mar. 17, 2012.
Atlanta Shakespeare Company, Romeo and Juliet. To Feb. 29, 2012.

The staging of a morality play

From the manuscript of The Castle of Perseverance (c. 1400).
By permission of the Folger Shakespeare Library.

The Castle of Perseverance, a medieval morality play written around 1425, survives in a 3700 line manuscript. This manuscript includes stage directions, together with an accompanying plan for staging in the open air.

  • South is at the top of the diagram.
  • The two concentric circles border the main playing area.
  • In the center of this area is a castle raised on legs, with a bed below it.

The original writing is difficult to decipher: click to see what the instructions are.