The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 25.424 Tuesday, 30 September 2014
From: Sarah Enloe <
Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Subject: Maps of the 16th and 17th Centuries: A Tribute to the Works and Times of William Shakespeare
News Release
Contact: Cathy Bagwell Marsh
540.885.5588 ext. 26
Explore More of Shakespeare’s World at Staunton’s R.R. Smith Center
Staunton, VA, September 3, 2014 – The American Shakespeare Center, in partnership with Scott Ballin and with funding from Altria Client Services Inc., proudly announces a new exhibit at the Augusta County Historical Society Gallery in the R.R. Smith Center in Staunton. Maps of the 16th and 17th Centuries: A Tribute to the Works and Times of William Shakespeare, on display September 12- November 30, explores the world as Shakespeare would have known it by featuring approximately 40 original maps from the 16th and 17th centuries.
The maps highlight various places where Shakespeare set his plays, including England, Scotland, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, the Near and Middle East, and North Africa, and include works by famous early modern cartographers Mercator, Ortelius, Hondius, Blaeu and Speed. Ranging in size from large wall maps to small pieces that travelers would have carried, these works of art retain their original color and many include detailed illustrations.
Collector Scott Ballin says of the exhibit –
“My idea was to put together something that would appeal to a variety of audiences and a variety of interests and to hopefully stimulate people to think about what the world was like when Shakespeare was writing his plays. This exhibit is about history. It is about art. It is about geography. It is about what was happening in England, Europe, and the rest of the world at the time.”
Amy Wratchford, Managing Director of the ASC, said, “We are thrilled to partner with Scott on this exhibit to not only share his wonderful collection with a wider audience, but also highlight the breadth of geography covered in these plays. Shakespeare’s canon provides a wealth of perspectives and opportunities to explore more.”
On September 12th, the exhibit will kick off with an Opening Night reception at the R.R. Smith Center, catered by Mike Lund Food.
The American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, VA, recovers the joys and accessibility of Shakespeare’s theatre, language, and humanity by exploring the English Renaissance stage and its practices through performance and education. The ASC’s Blackfriars Playhouse, the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s indoor theatre, is open year-round for productions of classic plays, which have been hailed by The Washington Post as "shamelessly entertaining" and by The Boston Globe as "phenomenal…bursting with energy." Founded in 1988 as Shenandoah Shakespeare Express, the organization became the American Shakespeare Center in 2005 and can be found online at www.americanshakespearecenter.com.