All the Folger’s a Classroom: Teacher Weekend Intensive on Shakespeare’s Comedies

An English Garden

May 8 – May 10

If you're drawn to early music but find traditional concerts static, this literary-musical hybrid offers genuine novelty. It's ideal for anyone curious about how Elizabethans actually experienced their gardens—neither a botanical lecture nor a music recital, but something more textured. Skip it if you prefer straightforward narrative or need a concert that prioritizes virtuosic display.

As You Like It

Mar 10 – Apr 19

If you love language-forward comedy and don't need everything spelled out for you, Rosalind's disguise plot will delight. This is ideal for Shakespeare-curious audiences who've been put off by heavier tragedies; it's also perfect for anyone who appreciates seeing gender roles interrogated through wit rather than lecture.

As You Like It: Finding Joy, Freedom, and Voice

This is essential for high school and middle school English teachers who want to deepen their own relationship with Shakespeare before bringing it to students. If you're a teacher who's exhausted by the standard lecture-and-worksheet approach and hungry for fresh ways to unlock joy in literature, this gives you both the experience and the strategies to take back to your classroom.

On Beckett

Shakespeare Theatre Company · Feb 11 – Mar 15

If you've always found Beckett's reputation for bleakness a barrier to entry, Irwin's physicality and genuine warmth might be your gateway. Skip this if you want conventional narrative momentum, but if you appreciate watching a master performer think through complex ideas in real time, this is essential.

The World to Come

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company · Feb 3 – Mar 1

This is for audiences who prize character work and understated emotional truth over plot mechanics. If you're drawn to plays about overlooked populations and find beauty in small moments, you'll connect here. Skip this if you need broad comedy or dramatic fireworks—the rewards are in observation and nuance.

Safety Not Guaranteed

Signature Theatre · Mar 3 – Apr 12

If you love character-driven comedies with genuine emotional stakes and don't mind theatrical logic that favors the heart over plausibility, this lands squarely in your wheelhouse. This isn't for audiences needing everything explained or characters they can easily pin down—it requires a willingness to meet the material's gentle weirdness halfway.