This article is being re-posted from FLiP Magazine May 2016. FLiP Magazine is a great publication with insight into pop-culture for both men and women! Aeri Rose is a regular contributor to FLiP W, the female focused half of the magazine. You should definitely check it out, and subscribe for the free digital editions! Even if I’m quiet here…I’ll always find something to say there!
“This is very midsummer madness.” – William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night
This April marks the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare. To commemorate, theaters and groups around the world are performing and exploring the great poet’s many works of art. Whether you journey to the village where it all began, or you’re just searching for something in your own backyard, its easy to be a part of the celebrations.
If you’re looking for an adventure this summer, consider a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon. This little town in the English countryside is celebrated as the birth place of William Shakespeare. Spend a weekend visiting historic sites like Hall’s Croft (his childhood home), New Place (one of his adulthood homes), and Anne Hathaway’s cottage. Take in one of his plays, now performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, and spend your evenings dining at rustic English pubs like The Lamplighter and The Garrick Inn.
If you’re looking for a celebration closer to home, the possibilities are endless. In New York City alone a quick internet search will turn up Central Park “sonnet slams,” summer theater performances, parades and festivals.
Museums and libraries are getting into the festivities too! Take the Shakespearian Birthday Celebration hosted by the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C. Each year they host an exciting event commemorating the works of the great poet and celebrating with cake, short performances, stage fighting demonstrations, lectures on costuming and history, and more.
Some Shakespearian enthusiasts aren’t content to just watch performers on a stage. They strive to look the part of the Elizabethan noblemen and noblewomen with elaborate, intricate, and accurate costumes. Take the time to don each layer, and think about the exciting life Shakespeare led in Elizabethan London. To find your own high quality costumes like the ones in our feature photos, check out the creations of Leslie Harris and Noblesse Oblige Costumes (https://www.facebook.com/noblesseobligecostumes/).
This summer, whether you’ve read every work of William Shakespeare, or you’ve never even picked up a one act play, try to learn one new thing about this incredible playwright. Or, as the great bard himself once wrote, “We know what we are but know not what we may be.” Enjoy the chance to learn something new about Shakespeare, and maybe even about yourself too!
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Have you ever had the urge to just drop what you were doing, pack a bag, and set out on an adventure? Seven years and over two dozen countries later, Aeri Rose is proof that excitement, independence, and discovery await those who are bold enough to say “yes” to life’s craziest choices. When not exploring the world with her little grey backpack, Aeri Rose an be found living a nomadic lifestyle traveling the United States as a writer and entrepreneur. To follow Aeri on all her adventures, check her out online at travelingwithaeri.com; or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aerirose.
Traveling with Aeri 