view image
One of my favorite rooms at Rienzi is the Library; as a self-proclaimed bibliophile, it’s a natural fit. Rienzi’s Library contains many classic texts, from Frances Burney’s Camilla to George Eliot’s Middlemarch and Evelyn Waugh’s A Handful of Dust, but of particular mention is a compilation of Shakespeare from 1632.
On the bottom right hand side rests a red leather bound book with the title “Shakespeare’s Works London 1632.” Also found in Library at Windsor Castle, the book is a Second Folio, printed by Thomas Coates. The book itself has been rebound, but the material is true to the Second Folio edition of the great works, including the 1,700 changes in language from the First Folio (my favorite Shakespeare play is “Much Ado About Nothing,” what’s yours?).
Thursday evening, the Folio will be on display in Rienzi’s Gallery while Sara Becker presents “Embodying Shakespeare: A Backstage Pass to the Actor’s Process,” as part of Rienzi’s Twilight Talks, an annual 4-part lecture series. Join the assistant professor of Voice and Shakespeare at the University of Houston for a chat about what goes into finding not only clarity, but also the blood, guts, and heart of Shakespeare’s plays. Click here for more information.
