Friday Exhibit in Wenham to Review 400 Years of Shakespeare

WENHAM, MA – Four hundred years of Shakespeare will be honored with highlights from the Edward Payson Vining Collection beginning on Friday, Dec. 9. Selections of 16th and 17th century sources relating to the playwright will be featured in the event, including an original Shakespeare second folio from 1632.

"One of the important works that will be display is an original 1632 Shakespeare second folio featuring all of Shakespeare’s plays," said David Goss, director of the Institute for Public History at Gordon College, in a press release. "Though this is the first time the public will have the opportunity to view pieces from the Vining Collection, the exhibition’s most unique attributes is its diverse array of pieces that speak to the scholar, the artist and the patron of the arts."

The exhibit is curated by curator Mary-Ellen Smiley and Professor Damon DiMauro. The opening reception, at 7 p.m. on Friday, will feature theater artist and acclaimed Shakespeare interpreter Karin Coonrod.

"Karin’s insights create a timeless thread connecting the past to the present; the archives to the living stage; and our historical location of Massachusetts to the days of live-performances in the streets of Europe," said Goss. Coonrod’s keynote talk will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Cinema Room of the Barrington Center.

The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Image via WikiCommons