Bvffalo Bard 2016

 Welcome to “Bvffalo Bard 2016: 400 Years Since Shakespeare”!

Design by John Bono/Renee Ruffino. This image combines a drawing of a large bull buffalo by late-19th/early 20th-century American naturalist Ernest E. Thompson Seton with the famous engraving of Shakespeare from the 1623 First Folio by Martin Droeshout.

2016 marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. During this year “all the world’s a stage” for commemorations of the Bard’s life and work. Here in Western New York we will join the celebration with a year-long calendar of public humanities events, including local performances, conferences, tours, and exhibits, all centered around Will and the work he created.

Our libraries will offer their community spaces and show their collections for a number of events, including early Folio and Rare Book exhibits, the Milestones of Science exhibit, a Shakespeare Read-A-Thon, and on Shakespeare’s April 23rd birthday a reception in conjunction with the annual Nichols’ Regional High-School Shakespeare Conference, done this year in collaboration with “Will Power” sponsored by the Nardin Academy. The downtown Buffalo & Erie County Public Library will also host competitions, festivals, and book-making sessions for lovers of Shakespeare from all “seven ages of man,” infancy to old age. All are welcome!

In 2016, Shakespeare in Delaware Park will also celebrate their 41st season on a brand new stage, made possible by generous donations from the community of Buffalo at large. In honor of this exciting time, they will start the season with a reprise of their first-ever production, the heart-rending and magical The Winter’s Tale, and round out the summer spectacular with the crowd-pleasing The Taming of the Shrew.

Other events throughout the year will include over a dozen theatrical performances, the UB Humanities Institute October 13-14 academic conference–“Object and Adaptation: The Worlds of Shakespeare and Cervantes”–exhibits, talks, screenings, tours, concerts, competitions, and much, much more.

Most events are free and open to the public, although a few will require a nominal entrance fee.

We hope this year will be a region-wide celebration. If your school, organization, or group is interested in contributing to the calendar, please contact us!

Click on the tabs above to find out some of the marvelous things we have in store for you!