Thursday, February 26, 2015

Shakespeare's Rare Book is Coming to San Diego



Shakespeare is coming to town! Thanks to local universities, the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture and KPBS Public Broadcasting the Old Globe Theater in partnership with the San Diego Library won a bid to bring "First Folio! The Book That Gave Us Shakespeare” to town.  It will be the only location in California where the book will be hosted.

Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein elaborates “This volume is one of the most important ever published, and the plays printed in it—the plays that are the lifeblood of The Old Globe—are cornerstones of our language, our worldview, and our very humanity. That we will be able to give San Diegans—and all Californians—a chance to view firsthand the pages on which those plays first appeared is an excitement and an honor.(1)

The book is one of the most valuable in the country and sold for approximately $5 and $6 million in the past 15 years. Compiled in 1623 by the friends of Shakespeare in after his death it originally sold for $200 (20 shillings) back in the day. With 36 plays are in the folio that include Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, Antony and Cleopatra, The Comedy of Errors, and As You Like It.

Even though dates have not yet been released you should mark your calendars for the announcement in April of this year. Shakespeare had a profound impact on world thought and culture. Reading and learning from him is important. His plays and poems showed an insight-fulness that much of us still have difficulty deciphering today.

The most profound aspect of Shakespeare was that he was born into modest beginnings and didn’t have much money when he started. Unlike many of his wealthier kinsman he excelled beyond them and created a lasting impact on society. His natural ability mixed with the right circumstances led to gifted greatness.

Supporting San Diego arts and culture helps connect the generations together. Each generation builds off the knowledge of the past and makes a contribution. Understanding the contributions of others like Shakespeare grounds us to the nature of our lives and how words can have profound meanings. Support the growth of culture and knowledge through patronage at the exhibit.

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