Actors in Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park’s upcoming production, The Book of Will, toured the OU Libraries’ special collections in the Bizzell Memorial Library to view an original Second Folio (1632) of William Shakespeare’s plays.
Kae Koger, dramaturg for the play and OU professor in the Helmerich School of Drama in the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts, organized the visit to OU Libraries.
“The play is full of comedy and high drama as they deal with the deaths of dear friends and family while trying to preserve Shakespeare's legacy,” Koger said. “Since the play revolves around the creation of the First Folio, I thought the actors might be interested in seeing a copy of the real thing ... to bring the reality of the play’s story home to them.”
Koger said that JoAnn Palmeri, librarian and research coordinator for OU Libraries’ History of Science Collections, not only showed the group the Second Folio, but also several facsimile editions for the First Folio.
“Seeing the book and the video about early printing techniques in the gallery allowed the actors to understand exactly what takes place in the scene,” Koger said. “I think that the actors who came (for the visit) have a different perspective on the accomplishments of Shakespeare and his contemporaries who worked without the benefit of modern technology.”
The Book of Will is the winner of the 2018 Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award. It is directed by Rex Daugherty and runs through Aug. 31. Tickets are available now.