Shakespeare in Harlem

Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
7 South Calvert St Baltimore

The stories and voices of 1940s Harlem intertwine in this immersive adaptation from Langston Hughes by director Gerrad Alex Taylor. Through poetry, movement, and music, these dynamic characters—including Hughes’ beloved Simple—evoke a rhythmic portrait of Black life.

Thru - Jan 18, 2026

Shakespeare in Harlem Reviews

Average Rating based on 2 reviews

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Recommended
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MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended

"...“Shakespeare in Harlem” is structured to follow the Seven Ages of a Man’s Blues, an allusion to the Seven Ages of Man monologue in William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.” As Griot, Lauren Davis, a CSC and BCAE company member, masterfully leads the audience through Twilight, Suppertime, Bedtime, Daybreak, Pay Day, a Night Funeral, and a Letter. As well as acting as a guide through time, Davis also showcased her prowess as several characters throughout the play."

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- Ben Pierce

Theatre Bloom - Recommended

"...There is a big blue emptiness in a dream deferred. And Chesapeake Shakespeare Company is filling it up with a first of its kind collaborative production between themselves and UMBC Theatre. Langston Hughe’s Shakespeare In Harlem, adapted for the stage and directed by Gerrad Alex Taylor, is appearing for a one-weekend only performance at CSC’s downtown stage after a successful run at UMBC Theatre in the fall of 2025. Evocative poetry in theatrical motion, this production gives voice, breath, and life to the leading voice of the Harlem Renaissance, to the poetry and words that shaped a crucial era in America’s recent past."

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- Amanda N. Gunther

Shakespeare in Harlem at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company