"Invite People In:" Karen Ann Daniels and the Folger Shakespeare Library

<p>Karen Ann Daniels has so many skills, talents, and experiences, she could break LinkedIn. A performer, singer, songwriter, adaptor, educator, director, and leader, she has been the artistic director and director of programming at the <a href="https://www.folger.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Folger Shakespeare Library</a> since fall 2021. </p><p>In January 2023, she launched the Reading Room, a new works festival dedicated to showcasing how contemporary artists and scholars are thinking about and tinkering with Shakespeare and his ideas, breathing new life into the Bard's work. We discuss how her team finds, curates, and supports projects, as well as how audience members can actively participate in the creative process themselves. She discusses the 2026 offerings, future directions the festival might take, and her upcoming Folger directorial debut, <a href="https://www.folger.edu/whats-on/as-you-like-it/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><em>As You Like It </em></a>in Spring 2026. </p><p>Learn more about the <a href="https://www.folger.edu/whats-on/programs/the-reading-room-festival-2026/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">2026 Reading Room</a>, follow the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/folgerlibrary/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Folger Library</a> on Instagram, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/k.a.creates/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Karen Ann</a> while you're at it. </p><p><a href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2286296/open_sms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Send Dex a text!</a></p><p>Be sure to follow and connect with the show on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theater_district/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">@theater_district</a></p>