***JANUARY LOCATION ***
With the Downtown Nashville Public Library temporarily closed, January 3rd’s Shakespeare Allowed! of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will take place at the Inglewood Library branch, located at 4312 Gallatin Pike, Nashville, TN 37216.
Shakespeare Allowed
The best way to read Shakespeare's plays is out loud and with friends!
The Nashville Shakespeare Festival invites you to read every play Shakespeare wrote, out loud in a reading circle. Once a month, we will gather to read one of the works of William Shakespeare, beginning with the first play he wrote and ending with his last. No need to commit to the whole canon, but if you’ve ever wanted to say “Yeah, I’ve read all of Shakespeare’s plays," this is the perfect opportunity to achieve that lofty goal!
How it works:
We meet at 11:50am. Whoever wants to read out loud can choose to sit at the table. The first 16 people who want to read will be assigned a number, and that will be the reading order. There will be additional seating available for anyone who wants to read along silently. (Although we might ask you to pipe in for crowd scenes!) The reading starts at 12:00 pm. We will take a 15 minute break in the middle of each play. During the break, anyone outside of the circle who would like a turn to read out loud may pull up a chair. Some copies of the play will be available, but please bring your own if possible.
When and Where:
Shakespeare Allowed will be held in-person on the first Saturday of each month at 12:00PM
*PLEASE NOTE : READINGS ARE TEMPORARILY RELOCATED DUE TO CLOSURE OF THE MAIN BRANCH.JANUARY’S READING OF A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM WILL TAKE PLACE AT INGLEWOOD LIBARY - 4312 GALLATIN PK, NASHVILLE TN 37216.
Everyone’s welcome!
Readings will always be free and open to the public. Hearing these plays read aloud will give you more insight into the depth of Shakespeare’s works. We welcome all voices, all dialects! This is intended to be a fun time, so bring your sense of humor.
"Kristen Kindoll: Read aloud -- or read along -- with Shakespeare" The Tennessean (6/17/2014)
Shakespeare Allowed Dates 2026
January 3 - A Midsummer Night’s Dream
February 7 - The Merchant of Venice
March 7 - The Merry Wives of Windsor
April 4 - Henry IV Part I
May 2 - Henry IV Part II
June 6 - Much Ado About Nothing
July 11 - As You Like It
August 1 - Julius Caesar
September 5 - Henry V
October 3 - Hamlet
November 7 - Twelfth Night
December 5 - All's Well that Ends Well