Folger Theatre Announces 2026-27 Season
Folger Theatre announced its 2026-27 season with three titles by the best-known playwright in the English language, William Shakespeare, to be performed at the Folger Shakespeare Library, his American home on Capitol Hill.
“Shakespeare’s works speak to our moment and just as urgently as they did over 400 years ago,” said Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper, Director of the Folger. “When brought to life on stage, they give people the tools to process the complexities of our contemporary moment and imagine better futures—all while captivating us with the brilliant language and action that we experience together.”
The season begins on September 22 with Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. Last seen on the Folger Theatre stage in 2006, the play delves into political and social upheaval. Bawdy humor underscores thorny issues of agency and consent in this rarely produced work.
In March 2027, Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy Hamlet will be produced by the Folger for the first time in over a decade. Hamlet remains one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays with complex discussions of mortality, duty, philosophy, and faith.
Folger Theatre’s upcoming season will come to a joyous conclusion with one of Shakespeare’s treasured comedies. The title for this final play of the season will be announced later.
The Reading Room Festival, founded in 2023 by Artistic Director Karen Ann Daniels, will return at the end of January 2027 for its fifth year, offering exciting opportunities for lovers of stories to experience a series of readings of contemporary plays that respond to Shakespeare, creative workshops, and communal activities with playwrights, scholars, critics, and theater makers. All-access passes, single tickets, and artist information will be released at a later date.
Season subscriptions for Folger Theatre are on sale now, starting at only $156. Special rates for patrons under 35, students, seniors, members of the military and their families, educators, and groups may be purchased through the Folger Theatre Box Office at (202) 544-7077 or at folger.edu/subscribe-theatre. Single tickets will go on sale this summer.