Dallasites, Shakespeare lovers, lend me your ears — or something like that. On April 23, 1616, the world lost a great literary figure, the Bard himself. This year marks the 400th anniversary of the death of the most famous playwright in the Western world, and, although slightly morbid, that is cause for commemoration. Earlier, we told you Dallas is in fact a literary city, and it has proven itself with many events that honor the old Bard. Though only a few of these are technically in honor of his 400th death-aversary, there are quite a few ways to pay tribute to Shakespeare this year.
Pub Crawl hosted by Shakespeare Dallas, April 23
In true Shakespearean fashion, you can sip or glug as you make your way through some of McKinney Avenue’s pubs. There may not be an activity more Shakespearean (besides seeing his plays) than imbibing a pint (or two or three) at a pub. To top it off, you can perhaps debate Shakespearean authorship with staff and artists from Shakespeare Dallas, or simply try your luck at some Shakespeare-themed trivia. The crawl will start at Idle Rich Pub, before moving along to Blackfriar Pub, and ending at Renfield’s Corner. In the past this event has been packed, so claim your ticket now.
World Book Day at The Wild Detectives, April 23
If you didn’t know before, now you know. April 23 is also World Book Day, in honor of the death of Shakespeare, and also the death of Miguel Cervantes, who died on April 22. Before you make your way to the Uptown crawl, head down to Oak Cliff and stop by The Wild Detectives, which will be celebrating World Book Day by giving a rose to every patron who purchases a book. Why a rose? This comes from Catalan holiday Saint Jordi, which boasts the slogan “a rose for love and a book forever.” This sounds romantic and utterly bookish, and we like it.
This summer, Shakespeare Dallas will be launch its annual Shakespeare in the Park series at the Samuell Grand Amphitheatre with Richard III. Sit back, relax and watch the drama unfold between the York and Lancaster families of as actors perform in an outdoor amphitheater somewhat reminiscent of Shakespeare’s own Globe Theater. In the fall, it’s The Tempest’s time. Shows start June 22.
On May 26, part of the Soluna Festival, the Orchestra of New Spain will be performing “Cervantes and Shakespeare–The Break from Myth and Legend.” This event honors the famed writers on the 400th anniversary of the year of their 1616 deaths. Head out for a night of “semi-staged performances of theatrical and dance music” at City Performance Hall, featuring music from artists such as Purcell, Boismortier, and Telemann.
Trinity Shakespeare Festival
If you want to celebrate Shakespeare, but prefer to do so indoors, the Trinity Shakespeare Festival in Fort Worth is for you. This festival consists of two plays, each taking place on TCU stages. This year’s lineup includes two magical favorites, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and A Winter’s Tale. Both plays will run from June 7-26 and tickets will be available online beginning in May.
Complete Works of William Shakespeare
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare is an ongoing, five-year series at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, in collaboration with Shakespeare Dallas, which is set to present every single one of Shakespeare’s works. Now in its fourth season, the next installment is Measure for Measure, one of Shakespeare’s seediest works. This dark comedy involves a nun who has to make a contradictory choice: if she doesn’t have sex with a duplicitous city official, her brother will die for the crime of sleeping with his betrothed. See what happens in this intense staged reading on May 15 and 16.
Shakespeare in the Bar
While Shakespeare in the Bar hasn’t yet announced its next boozy performance of the Bard’s work, we’d suggest keeping an eye on the group’s Facebook page — These performances, which have taken place at Wild Detectives and Eight Bells Alehouse in the past, are guaranteed to be a blast, and are guaranteed to sell out.
