‘Much Ado About Shakespeare’ exhibit comes to USC

The University of South Carolina will join a worldwide celebration of the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare with a series of events the week of April 14-30. The famous poet and wordsmith, known as the "Bard of Avon," died on April 23, 1616.

On Thursday, USC welcomes the traveling exhibit of Shakespeare’s First Folio, a book that was compiled shortly after his death and comprised 36 plays including “Julius Caesar,” “Macbeth,” and “The Tempest.”

The university is the only site in South Carolina to host the national traveling exhibition from the Folger Shakespeare Library. In addition to the First Folio, the exhibit, titled “Much Ado About Shakespeare,” features astronomical prints, paintings, ceramics, armor, photographs, letters, children’s books and pop culture items. Stephen Orgel, Stanford University professor and renowned Shakespeare and Renaissance literature scholar, will speak along with University of South Carolina leaders and Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections Director Elizabeth Sudduth.

5-7 p.m. Thursday in the Hollings Library at Thomas Cooper Library, 1322 Greene St. The opening is free and open to the public. The exhibit runs through April 30 and will include several special events such as theater performances, lectures, swordplay and a Transcribathon; find the schedule at http://library.sc.edu/p/FirstFolio.

This story was originally published April 11, 2016 at 12:34 PM with the headline "‘Much Ado About Shakespeare’ exhibit comes to USC."