Presenting Shakespeare is an encyclopedic book that collects 1100 theatrical posters of Shakespeare’s plays. It includes designs from as far back as 1860 with over 50 countries and hundreds of artists represented. On the 400th anniversary of his death this tome highlights the fact that Shakespeare can be reexamined, reinterpreted and re-imagined in ways that reflect the time and culture.
Theater managers have always had to find ways to announce performances connecting the art to the public. This has taken several forms, one of which is the theatrical poster. The poster evolved to become less of an announcement and more of a visual representation of the work. Today, the best designs strike a balance between conveying information, setting the expectations for the audience, attracting attention, and being a piece of art on its own terms.
In their introduction, the editors suggest that Shakespeare became renowned in part because of printing technologies which made his plays widely available first as Quartos and eventually in the First Folio. They further propose that “works of art and design” – which include theatrical posters and re-creations of historical tableaux and Shakespearean imagery – wove together a “sophisticated public relations” campaign which helped preserve Shakespeare’s legacy through the ages. I prefer the more humanist view that it is Shakespeare’s ability to create characters who developed, his universal appeal and his juicy poetry that centered him in the Western canon. His cultural significance is undeniable and this book visually catalogues Shakespeare’s international impact.
This collection is a visual delight which I think will fit nicely in any library whether you are a scholar, student, designer, theater artist, fan of Shakespeare, or poster design enthusiast. It is cleverly organized by play (or sets of plays). It has an impressive number of examples from recent productions which serves the double purpose of presenting contemporary posters but also providing a survey of companies who are actively producing Shakespeare plays. Rightfully there is a substantial focus on Polish designs. Companies from the UK and the US get plenty of coverage notably the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Public (who presented the first New York Shakespeare Festival in 1954). Africa, South America and Asia are under represented. The research could have been a bit more extensive (they selected the final 1100 from only 1500 choices) and an index would be helpful. But the end result is thoroughly inspiring.