Richmond celebrates Shakespeare’s 460th birthday

Samantha Granados, Contributing Writer

Agecroft Hall & Gardens invites Richmond to dive into the world of Shakespeare, encouraging learning the history and cultural impact of his art through interactive activities, according to Jill Pesesky, the curator of education for Agecroft Hall & Gardens.

The “Shakespeare Birthday: A Celebration of The Bard” event will occur on Saturday, April 27 from noon to 5 p.m. and is free to the public, according to its website. 

The celebration started as an event called “The Bard’s Birthday” in 2009 and ran for two years before it was revived again as an annual event, Pesesky said. 

The event is a fun way to show people what life was like in Shakespeare’s lifetime, according to Pesesky. Celebrating Shakespeare is important because his plays are still widely performed in original and updated versions and used as a common backdrop in movies and television shows, according to Pesesky. 

“His works are such an integral part of our cultural and social lives,” Pesesky said. 

Visitors can peek into Shakespeare’s world at the event with Shakespeare scenes and monologues performed by VCUarts students, Pesesky said. They can also watch a demonstration of military life with 17th-century reenactors and attend a Shakespeare storytime. 

Visitors can even tap into a theatrical side with interactive performances of Shakespeare’s scenes, according to Pesesky. They’re also encouraged to engage in Tudor-era crafts related to Shakespeare. These Tudor-era crafts will include herbal sachets and bookmarks modeled after 17th-century examples, Pesesky said. 

The Tudor era refers to the period in England when the country was ruled by the House of Tudor, around 1485 until 1603, Pesesky said. Shakespeare lived from 1564 to 1616, writing during the later Tudor era. 

Live music will be played as well at the event by Sarah Schilling and Katharine Tibbets of RVA Baroque, a musical group that performs music from the Renaissance, Pesesky said.

Events like this benefit the community because they get to experience Agecroft differently, according to Pesesky. 

“In this case, they get to learn about Shakespeare and his era, while being entertained and enjoying our lovely gardens,” Pesesky said. “These events can also reach people who might not be familiar with Agecroft.”

The Shakespeare Garden has plaques throughout the garden that quote his many mentions of the specific plants in his plays, according to Joseph “Joe” Day, the head of horticulture and maintenance of Agecroft Hall & Gardens. Plants include sweet woodruff, pot marigolds and poppies.

Day believes the Shakespeare Garden captures how plants and gardens played a central role in Shakespeare’s plays, he said. Gardens were essential in Shakespeare’s time due to plant exploration as people traveled further from England, bringing back more plants. Gardens were either food or medicinal-based.

Agecroft has the first Shakespeare Garden in Virginia, according to Anne Kenny-Urban, the executive director of Agecroft Hall & Gardens.

 The plants in the Shakespeare Garden were used for metaphors and analogies in his plays, Kenny-Urban said. People in the 17th century would understand as they were much more connected to the land, understanding where their food came from and how seasons worked. 

Kenny-Urban believes this event helps welcome anyone to the Agecroft community and there’s no price barrier with a free event, she said. Agecroft wants as many people as possible to come whether it’s for the history or to simply be outside in nature. 

She describes Agecroft as “an oasis” in Richmond and believes all minds are expanded when the collective learns more about history, Kenny-Urban said. Visitors can see parallels to modern life through the universal themes Shakespeare has explored in his work. 

“You don’t need to know anything about Shakespeare,” Kenny-Urban said. “You can just come and experience it and watch some of the scenes being done, participate in a craft, walk through the Shakespeare Garden. Just come check it out.”

Agecroft Hall and Gardens is also hosting The 2024 Richmond Shakespeare Festival from May 23 through July 21. Tickets can be purchased online or through its Richmond Shakespeare Ticket Hotline at 804-340-0115.