Get to know the world's greatest playwright
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London’s Globe Theater is a replica of the Elizabethan playhouse for which Shakespeare wrote many of his signature works after 1599, inlcuding “Hamlet,” “Othello” and “King Lear.” / Courtesy of Shakespeare’s Globe
Shakespeare's 450th birthday celebrations in 2014
By Do Je-hae
The great playwright and poet William Shakespeare will receive more attention than usual in and outside Britain this year in honor of the 450th anniversary of his birth.
The precise date of Shakespeare’s birth in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, is not known, but records show he was baptized on 26 April, 1564. He died at age 52 on April 23, 1616. During his lifetime, he wrote some 38 plays that still continue to move audiences of every generation, and in numerous languages. His masterpieces have also had a profound influence on classical music. Works such as "Romeo and Juliet" inspired some great compositions from Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev.
A host of special projects and events are lined up for Shakespeare’s 450th anniversary. Korea's flagship opera and theater companies will join in the celebration for the landmark anniversary.
Here's a preview of some of the major events.
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The Globe Theater is the focal point for celebrations for Shakespeare’s 450th birthday year. The theater will launch a 205-nation ‘Hamlet’ tour, taking the iconic work to all corners of the globe starting April. / Courtesy of Shakespeare’s Globe
Theater
Anyone familiar with Shakespeare's life and works is likely to look up London's Globe Theater to see what it is planning.
Opened in 1997, it is a modern reconstruction of the 1599 playhouse of the same name for which Shakespeare wrote some of his most iconic plays, such as “Hamlet,” “King Lear” and “Othello.” The replica of the Elizabethan playhouse sits approximately 230 meters from the site of the original theater, and has been a tourist magnet on the Thames River.
The most extensive anniversary project comes from the Globe Theater, which will launch a 205-nation “Hamlet” tour in April entitled "Hamlet: Globe to Globe." The project will send the theater's production of “Hamlet” to countries around the world.
The British Council, a government-backed agency, will support the two-year tour that will end in 2016.
Venues are not finalized, but will include Helsingor in Denmark ― also known as Elsinore, where Shakespeare's tragedy is set ― and Kenya's Rift Valley.
Of all Shakespeare’s plays, why “Hamlet” for the unprecedented theatrical adventure?
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The Oscar-winning 1998 film "Shakespeare in Love" is being adapted for the stage this summer.
"’Hamlet’ is the most all-encompassing of Shakespeare's plays," said renowned theater director Peter Brook in a statement. "Everyone, young or old, can today find an immediate identification with its characters, their pains and their interrogations. To take ‘Hamlet’ in its original language around the world is a bold and dynamic project. It can bring a rich journey of discovery to new audiences everywhere."
Globe's artistic director Dominic Dromgoole explained that touring traditionally played an important part in spreading Shakespeare's works.
"The spirit of touring, and of communicating stories to fresh ears, was always central to Shakespeare's work," Dromgoole said. "In 1608, only five years after it was written, ‘Hamlet’ was performed on a boat ― the Red Dragon ― off the coast of Yemen. Just 10 years later it was toured extensively all over Northern Europe. By train, coach, plane and boat, we aim to take this wonderful, iconic, multifarious play to as many fresh ears as we possibly can."
The Globe Theater has just added an indoor venue to give audiences a feel for what it was like at the theater 400 years ago. The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, a reproduction of a Jacobean playhouse, was built using centuries-old techniques, and its shows will be lit entirely by hundreds of candles.
The National Theater Company of Korea will join the Shakespeare celebrations by staging a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in April.
Opera
"Romeo and Juliet" and "Othello" are not only great plays, but have both been translated into two of the most popular operas on the stage today.
The Korea National Opera will stage both works later this year, in cooperation with local and international artists.
"Romeo et Juliette" set to the music of French composer Charles Gounod will take place on Oct. 2-5 at the Seoul Arts Center. The opera had its premiere in Paris in 1867. It is notable for the four duets from the main characters and the waltz song "Je veux vivre," one of the most popular arias in the soprano repertoire. The production combines the exquisite music of Gounod with a gorgeous setting in 17th-century Verona, Italy.
The Korea National Opera's "Romeo et Juliette" is produced by Elijah Moshinsky, the renowned Australian opera and theatre director who has worked at the Royal Opera House, the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal National Theatre and BBC Television, among other places.
Italian opera master Giuseppe Verdi's "Otello" will take place on Nov. 6-9 at the Seoul Arts Center. The opera in four acts had its premiere at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan in 1887 and has been one of the composer's most popular works since.
Graeme Jenkins, who served 20 seasons as director of the Dallas Opera, will conduct “Otello” in Seoul.
Cinema
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)'s productions at its Royal Shakespeare Theatre will be broadcast to selected movie theatres around the world, starting with “Richard II.” More than 40 theaters in the U.S. and others in Australia, Canada, Germany and Ireland are included in a program that will run through September. Productions will include “Henry IV, Parts I and II,” and “Two Gentlemen of Verona.”
The Globe Theater also has a "Globe on Screen" project, featuring box-office sensations such as “Twelfth Night” and “The Taming of the Shrew” captured live in high definition. More information is available at
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The seven-time Oscar-winning film "Shakespeare in Love" is being adapted for the stage for London's Noel Coward Theatre's summer program.
The story is about a young Shakespeare, who is plagued by debt and writer’s block, finding inspiration in the beautiful Viola De Lesseps and ultimately writing one of his timeless masterpieces, “Romeo and Juliet.”
The 1998 film starred British actor Joseph Fiennes as Shakespeare and Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow, who won an Academy Award for her impassioned portrayal of Viola.
Exhibitions
For those planning to visit the U.K., March will be a good time to explore Shakespeare. Shakespeare Week (March 17 to 23) will also be celebrated in schools, theaters, historic sites, museums, galleries, cinemas and libraries across Britain.
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London will mark the anniversary with the exhibition "Shakespeare: Our Greatest Living Playwright," bringing together rare objects related to Shakespeare and his works. The exhibition is scheduled to run for most of 2014, from Jan. 31 to Sept. 28.