Guidelines issued by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the National Council of Teachers of English encourage the use of a multimedia, interdisciplinary approach to the language arts--an approach which utilizes the new technologies to enhance students' appreciation of literature. Furthermore, it is consistent with the mission of the Cleveland State University Library to provide increased access to its special collections through digitization. The CSU Library is delighted to make its resources available to secondary school and college students and instructors and everyone who enjoys the works of William Shakespeare.

What this site contains

The site includes approximately 400 images from publicity photographs featuring regional production companies --Cleveland's Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival, the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada and others; New York stage productions; motion pictures; and televised productions including several highly praised series (The Shakespeare Plays, Hallmark Hall of Fame, etc.). Notable actors and artists include: Judith Anderson, Peggy Ashcroft, Richard Burton, Claire Bloom, Katherine Cornell, Maurice Evans, John Gielgud, Leslie Howard, Rudolf Nureyev, Laurence Olivier, Leontyne Price, Paul Robeson, and Maggie Smith.


The Photographs

Cast and credit information and dates of motion pictures and television productions have been verified in reference sources whenever possible (See the Bibliography). Full credit has been given to individual photographers and studios whose names appear on the photograph or accompanying publicity.


The Database

To search the database, go directly to an individual play, choose a genre (play grouping), or search by actor's name, character's name, or other names represented in the credits-- producer, director, costume designer, etc. Photographs are arranged chronologically within each photo gallery. Derivative productions appear with the corresponding Shakespeare play (e.g. Kiss Me Kate appears with Taming of the Shrew and To Be Or Not To Be displays within the Hamlet gallery. Several non-Shakespearean productions are also included, e.g. George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra; other Cleopatra productions; Giuseppe Verdi's operas Othello and Macbeth, and ballet versions of Romeo and Juliet. These display with the corresponding Shakespeare play. Non-Shakespearean period films illustrating the Tudor court appear in the King Henry VIII gallery. Each photograph is identified by production title; venue (i.e. stage, film, television, opera, or ballet); genre (i.e. comedy, tragedy, English history, Roman play, or romance); production date; production company, if known; place of production, if known; cast, photographer or studio; and credit information. Original captions from the newspaper are presented in quotation marks. Additional captions and dialogue are provided as appropriate.


Feedback

Please contact Lesley Jorbin if you have found this website useful or if you have additional information to contribute for any of the incomplete entries: l.e.jorbin@csuohio.edu


How to donate photographs

Individuals or organizations wishing to donate or lend photographs for digitization may contact Lesley Jorbin, l.e.jorbin@csuohio.edu. Only photographs from professional productions will be considered, from any of the venues represented here.

Last update: 09/07/07