The stately gray stone walls of the Folger Shakespeare Library on East Capitol Street have graced Capitol Hill since 1932, when Shakespeare collector Emily Folger saw her husband Henry鈥檚 vision of a 鈥済ift to America鈥� to completion.
The library building that houses the 鈥渨orld鈥檚 largest Shakespeare collection鈥� has undergone few major structural changes over the years. Today, its great hall, adorned with Tudor-style oak paneling and a vaulted white ceiling, serves as a meeting, concession and exhibition space.
But with subdued lighting from outside meant to protect exhibition items in a concession space, the current building 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 represent a lot of the way we experience museums now,鈥� according to Folger鈥檚 head of external relations, Garland Scott.
That鈥檚 why the library will close on March 2, 2020 for two years for $38 million in extensive renovations that will include a 12,000-square-foot pavilion with two new exhibition halls beneath the existing structure.
The library鈥檚 theater will stage performances of聽Henry IV Part One,听Amadeus听补苍诲听The Merry Wives of Windsor聽this season before closing.
Despite the renovations, 鈥淔olger is by no means slowing down,鈥� Scott told Capital 海角社区app Service.
She said Folger-sponsored concerts and talks would be held at St. Mark鈥檚 Episcopal Church in Capitol Hill during construction. The Folger鈥檚 scholar programs would 鈥済o on the road鈥� and stop in Syracuse, New York, this spring, Scott added.
The library鈥檚 new entrances will feature sloping gardens with wheelchair ramps that direct patrons toward the building鈥檚 basement expansion. Inside, the underground space will host a new great hall devoted to Shakespeare as well as the Mimi Rose Rare Book Manuscript and Exhibition Hall, showcasing early modern texts.
Philadelphia architectural firm KiernanTimberlake – which designed the new U.S. Embassy in London – will be at the helm of the Folger鈥檚 renovations, Scott said.
The two new halls will add 6,000 square feet of gallery space and include digital interactive exhibits to engage today鈥檚 students. The library鈥檚 staff 鈥渨ant to make the Folger a place for 21st century people to experience Shakespeare and his world,鈥� Scott said.
The current structure was designed by French-American architect Paul Cret. It was dedicated April 23, 1932 – also believed to be the date of Shakespeare鈥檚 birthday. In 1969, the library was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The building鈥檚 dedication capped decades of Henry and Emily Folger鈥檚 work to amass a vast collection of Shakespeare texts and artifacts. Henry became president of the Standard Oil Company of New York in 1911, which provided him with the resources to pursue collecting and eventually pursue a building to host his collection.
Scott said the Folgers stopped at Union Station during a train trip to Hot Springs, Virginia, and chose a site one block from the United States Capitol to build their library.
Despite having had heating, cooling and other infrastructure improvements over the years, the Cret building has had limited structural expansion and upkeep. The renovation will 鈥渂enefit school groups,鈥� Scott said, and with better WiFi and updated study rooms and meeting spaces, she expects the completions to be 鈥渧ery 21st century.鈥�
Peter Eramo, the Folger鈥檚 events publicity and marketing manager, said the theater will continue productions while the main building undergoes renovations. While he said most productions will be in Washington, 鈥渙ne might be in Maryland.鈥�
The Folger鈥檚 theatrical season began Sept. 3, with performances of聽Henry IV Part One, directed by Rosa Joshi.
Mainstay Washington actor Edward Gero delivered a standout performance as Falstaff on Sept. 7, delivering lines like, 鈥淎nd I prithee, sweet wag, when thou art king, as God save thy Grace鈥擬ajesty, I should say, for grace thou wilt have none鈥斺�� with swift, verbal, one-two punches.
Journeyman actor Avery Whitted of Brooklyn, New York, likewise infused levity and intensity into his Hal, with rebukes including: 鈥淯nless hours were cups of sack.. and the blessed sun himself a fair hot wench in flame-colored taffeta, I see no reason why thou shouldst be so superfluous to demand the time of the day.鈥�
Henry IV Part One聽will run through Oct. 13.聽Amadeus聽will follow Nov. 5 through Dec. 22, and聽The Merry Wives of Windsor聽Jan. 14 to March 1 before renovations begin.
