Alexis Greene

Shakespeare Theatre Company
The History of a Classical Theatre

Pre-order Shakespeare Theatre Company now at these locations

I was asked to write a pictorial history of Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D. C., a request that freed me to explore and write about aspects of American theater that have always tantalized me: the history of performing Shakespeare in America, and the evolution of performing his grand plays in our nation's capital.

I went "Behind the Scenes," to talk with the artists who make theater: actors, directors, designers, composers, and producers. I relished including their memories and descriptions of their work, and selecting more than 200 entrancing photographs. Classical theater continues to excite and enlighten us.

What people are saying about it

"A monumental achievement. Greene is a scholar, but also a brilliant storyteller. She counts, in fascinating detail, the growth of a company that originated in a small theatre at the Folger and grew, under the extraordinary guidance of Michael Kahn, to be one of the forever Shakespeare companies in America. Greene's lively prose makes it a page turner for theatre artists and theatres like, and certainly for any student of theatre history."

Elizabeth Swain, theatre director, and professor emerita, Marymount Manhattan College

"In this exceptionally written and photographed historical accounting, Alexis Greene has captured the triumphs and challenges of regional theatre in these United States. Ms. Greene captures each phase from the elegant but straightforward beginning in the early 18th century through its growth from the Folger Library to the Shakespeare Theatre Company to become America's premier classical theatre. This lovely chronicle of history demonstrates, without a doubt, the unconditional impact of the Arts, specifically in this case, the Performing Arts, on our society and our obligation to support them. Read On!"

Lynnie Godfrey, actor, director, singer

"I was utterly fascinated by Alexis Greene's superb account of Washington, DC's Shakespeare Theatre Company's existence. She highlights its leadership under five very different artistic directors as well as its operation from small to big physical homes, never falling to convey a vivid personal sense of the actors, directors and writers that are involved in each decade of its productions. She doesn't shrink from quoting the good and less-than-good reviews and gently threads her own feelings about the long-overdue employment of women directors. A volume worthy of a special place on your bookshelf."

Gail Merrifield Papp, author, Public/Private: My Life with Joe Papp at The Public Theatre

"A treasure trove of theatre history! This vivid chronicle is rich with backstage stories, archival gems, and passionate voices; it celebrates an ending legacy. With clarity and effect, it honors a theatre, its players, and leaders that together have shared American Shakespeare with brilliance, boldness, and an unrelenting love of language."

Edward Gero, actor, director, professor of theatre (retired)

"The Shakespeare Theatre Company that grew out of the Folger Shakespeare Library in the nation's capital is an important part of American theatre that is too little known. Alexis Greene's authoritarian history gives it its proper place... It's a great story and a welcome book."

Ted van Griethuysen, actor and author

Emily Mann: Rebel Artist of the American Theatre
By Alexis Greene

On September 18th, 2023 I had a wonderful conversation about her new play "The Pianist" at the Princeton Public Library in New Jersey.
Conversation: Emily Mann and Alexis Greene

A biography of this exceptional playwright, director, artistic leader, and advocate for women in the American theater. For three decades she was artistic director of the McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, New Jersey.

From the Preface:

"One of my goals in writing a biography of Emily Mann has been to show that resistance can reside in defying preconceived assumptions of what a woman of the theater can stage or write or, finally, achieve. I also hope to show how Emily Mann’s art and career can contribute to the discourse in the public square, a role that has become essential for American theater as it aims to be an influential part of the cultural changes enveloping the country. My chief goal, however, has been to write the life of a woman who has created unique art and along the way has wrestled with, learned from, and overcome personal trauma and illness. For centuries, the lives of women have been hidden: buried in diaries, letters, and in the day-to-day tasks that women undertook but few observed. This biography of Emily Mann brings one more woman’s life into the light."