7 Places to Celebrate Shakespeare and His Genius ...

It’s only natural that the most obvious of the places to celebrate Shakespeare is his birthplace. The town of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, central England, is a Shakespeare fest every day of the year. Every pub has a Shakespeare theme and every shop has Shakespeare related souvenirs. But that aside, it is a gorgeous town, with beautifully preserved houses and a very lovely park next to the River Avon. It is home to the Royal Shakespeare Company Theater, where watching a production is a special experience. Attractions include Shakespeare’s birthplace/home, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage (Shakespeare’s wife), and the Holy Trinity Church where he is buried.

Did you ever imagine one of the places to celebrate Shakespeare would be a Caribbean island? But yes, there is actually a festival of the iambic pentameter on the little island of Carriacou in Grenada. It takes place during the Annual Spice Mas, the island group’s main cultural event. It is a contest of quotations that dates back over 100 years to when a plantation owner on Carriacou believed it would benefit the education of his slaves to learn some Shakespeare. These days it has a Caribbean flavor with costumes and elaborate headdresses.

Each year, the Marin Shakespeare Company invites lovers of Shakespeare to their annual production of one of the Bard’s great plays. The Marin Shakespeare Company is based in the small town of Los Barriles on the Sea of Cortez in Mexico. The theatrics happen on an outdoor stage at the Rancho Buena Vista Hotel. If you’re a Shakespeare purist, this might not be for you because the productions are a unique take on the works. For example, the 2013 production was A Hawaiian Night’s Dream - think a Midsummer Night’s Dream with Mai Tais and Hula skirts. No word yet on what’s on the menu for 2014.

There are numerous places to celebrate Shakespeare in the USA. The places that I could find that hold Shakespeare Festivals include Utah, Alabama, Oregon, Idaho, Texas (Dallas runs its own too), Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Colorado and Georgia. There are also various “Shakespeare in the Park” festivals around the country, including the biggest one in New York. If, however, you want something a little different, Shakespeare Behind Bars might be of interest. Annually, since 1995, the inmates of the Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in Kentucky put on a production of a Shakespeare play that is open to the public. The 2014 program is Much Ado About Nothing and tickets go on sale in May for the June shows.

All the world loves a stage and the location for Shakespeare’s most famous and beloved play is beautiful Verona. It would be unkind to say that the Italian city has milked the most romantic and tragic of Shakespeare’s tales but it has. And why not? The link is undeniable, so why wouldn’t Shakespeare lovers want to visit Juliet’s House and that famous balcony? And, the Romeo and Juliet themed attractions in Verona are in keeping with the city which is full of history and beauty. If you can’t visit Verona you can celebrate Shakespeare in your own way. If you have a romantic problem or just want to express your love, you can write a “Dear Juliet” letter. Send it to Club di Giulietta, Galilei 3-37100 Verona, Italy. And you never know, you might win the annual prize for the best Dear Juliet letter, which is awarded on Valentine’s Day.

As the English have embraced the great German writers, poets, artists and musicians, so the Germans have embraced Shakespeare, so much so that the town of Neuss, near Dusseldorf, was inspired to build their own Globe Theater. Built in the same fashion as the original Globe, though not a replica, the Neuss Globe Theater enjoys a charming setting on the town’s racecourse shaded by tall poplars. The Shakespeare Festival takes place in Neuss in June/July each year. There are two other Globe Theaters in Germany – one in Rust and one in Baden-Württemberg. (There’s also one in Rome and two in Japan and a few in the US.)

Since the construction of the Globe Theater in 1997, London has become of the premier places to celebrate Shakespeare. The city’s theaters had always run second behind the RSC theater’s productions until Sam Wanamaker was inspired by his idea to build as an exact a replica he could of the Elizabethan playhouse where Shakespeare’s masterpieces were first performed. The original Globe opened in 1599 and burned down in 1613. The audience stood to enjoy the drama and as visitors to the new Globe, you will stand to watch a production too. There’s also a permanent exhibition to tour.

This is just a selection of the places to celebrate Shakespeare around the world. The plays in their original form and with modern adaptations will crop up in theaters all over the world, and many countries will run festivals ad hoc. Are you a Shakespeare lover? Can you see yourself underneath Juliet’s balcony and imagining what Romeo saw?