What better way to experience Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” than in the intimate Elizabethan Theatre at the Folger Shakespeare Library?

Join us for a Saturday adventure to Capitol Hill—an ideal chance to visit the Folger and enjoy a performance in a space that transports us back to Elizabethan England.

On the ride over, Suzanne Sanders will summarize the play, with hints what to look for — but no spoilers! On the ride home she’ll answer questions and invite you to share your thoughts.

Just one block from the U.S. Capitol, the Folger Shakespeare Library blends a neoclassical exterior of white Georgia marble with an interior inspired by Tudor England—oak paneling, ornamental tile, and high plaster ceilings. Originally dedicated in 1932, the Folger reopened in 2024 after a major renovation, adding exhibition galleries, a learning lab, research spaces, and welcoming gathering areas.

That afternoon, we’ll attend As You Like It, directed by Karen Ann Daniels in her Folger Theatre debut. This beloved comedy follows Rosalind and her cousin Celia as they flee court life and find refuge—and romance—in the forest, where love and whimsy reign.

The play unfolds in the Folger’s Elizabethan Theatre, a replica of an English Renaissance inn courtyard, complete with carved oak columns, half-timbered facades, and three tiers of wooden balconies. A canopy overhead represents the sky, echoing the open-air playhouses of Shakespeare’s time.

Beyond the performance, you’ll have time to explore the Folger’s newly renovated galleries, including the special exhibition Imagining Shakespeare: Mythmaking and Storytelling in the Regency Era. Featuring 14 paintings from London’s Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, this exhibit invites reflection on the stories Shakespeare told—and those told about him.

What to Expect:  

We’ve arranged for a timed entry to allow you to explore or enjoy a light lunch at the Quill & Crumb café before the show. Transportation is by private van, departing from the Easton Family YMCA front entrance.

Please note:  your registration fee pays the travel and ticketing costs plus a nominal Chesapeake Forum overhead contribution.  **Seats for this program are giftable but not refundable unless there is someone on the waitlist who can take the seat.**

Saturday | March 28 | 10am – 7pm | FIELD TRIP (departing and returning to the Easton Family YMCA on Peachblossom) | $120