Fans of William Shakespeare will be celebrating his 400th birthday in Montgomery this month.
The Montgomery Museum of Fine Art is hosting a Shakespeare exhibit called “First Folio! The Book That Gave Us Shakespeare.” The book contains original printings of the famous playwright’s work. It was published in the 1600s, just a few years after Shakespeare’s death.
Margaret Lynne Aufeld is the curator of art at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art. She says this is a rare chance to see this prized publication.
“People being able to actually see this volume is something that is kind of amazing when you think about it. You don’t often have the opportunity as a member of the public to see a volume that was published in 1623.”
The exhibit will also be accompanied by costumes, designs and props from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s previous production of Hamlet. This coincides with the page that the book is opened to. It’s the famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy.
The exhibit will be on display through October 30.