About us
The Twin Cities Shakespeare Readers had its first meeting in April 2022. We meet once a month to discuss a play by William Shakespeare, the greatest writer who ever lived.
We usually meet on the last Monday of every month, 6-8 p.m., at the Minneapolis Central Library in downtown Minneapolis, usually in Room N-202.
We also post other events that may be of interest to our members.
We would be happy to send you a pdf file that tells you more about our group and also lists upcoming performances of Shakespeare plays in Minnesota. You can contact us by email at: TCSR.MINN@gmail.com.
Upcoming events
5
Theatre In The Round Players: "The Great Gatsby" ($5)
Theatre in the Round, 245 Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USThursday, Sept. 10, 2026, 7:30 pm.
Theatre in the Round Players (TRP)
245 Cedar Ave S
Minneapolis MN 55454"The Great Gatsby"
Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Adapted by Simon LevyJoin us for the final dress rehearsal of "The Great Gatsby". The cost is $5.00 at the door. Cash preferred. NO LATE SEATING.
Play Description:
In this famous Jazz Age story, Nick Carraway, a young man from Minnesota, moves to New York in the summer of 1922. As he navigates the unfamiliar social scene, he is invited to a lavish party thrown by the mysteriously wealthy Jay Gatsby, who is trying to rekindle a relationship with Nick’s cousin, Daisy. This faithful adaptation of the novel uses theatricality to capture the lyric and poetic nature of Fitzgerald’s prose. With themes of greed, love, disillusionment, and inequality, this Great American Classic feels both mythic and familiar in a new century.There is also a Pay-What-You-Can performance on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, 7:30 pm.
PARKING:
1. Parking is NOT free at parking meters in the evening, but it is not expensive. About $5.
2. You can also park nearby in the ramp of the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, 1500 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454. Remember your license plate and when you are leaving the theater there is a QR code you can scan with your smart phone and only pay $5.50. (Four hour limit at this discounted price.)There is always a small chance that a performance might be cancelled at the last minute, so call TRP that afternoon to check 612-333-3010, and also check Meetup messages for this event.
2 attendees
“Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett - Discussion
Minneapolis Central Library, room N-202, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, mn, USSpecial, Non-Shakespeare Meetup
Monday, September 14, 2026, 6-8 pm
Minneapolis Central Library
(Downtown Minneapolis)
300 Nicollet Mall - Room N-202
Minneapolis, MN 55401There is underground parking beneath the library, off 4th St. S., for about $6. There is also paid parking at parking meters.
Go in to the Library lobby and then in to the book stacks area. Take the elevator or stairs up to the 2nd floor, then go all the way to the left.
We expect to have a special guest from the upcoming production of “Waiting for Godot” at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Sept. 12 - Oct. 11, 2026.
This is a discussion about the play, not a reading or showing of it.
SYNOPSIS OF THE PLAY (from SparkNotes)
• Two men, Vladimir and Estragon, meet near a tree. They converse on various topics and reveal that they are waiting there for a man named Godot. While they wait, two other men enter. Pozzo is on his way to the market to sell his slave, Lucky. He pauses for a while to converse with Vladimir and Estragon. Lucky entertains them by dancing and thinking, and Pozzo and Lucky leave.
• After Pozzo and Lucky leave, a boy enters and tells Vladimir that he is a messenger from Godot. He tells Vladimir that Godot will not be coming tonight, but that he will surely come tomorrow. Vladimir asks him some questions about Godot and the boy departs. After his departure, Vladimir and Estragon decide to leave, but they do not move as the curtain falls.
• The next night, Vladimir and Estragon again meet near the tree to wait for Godot. Lucky and Pozzo enter again, but this time Pozzo is blind and Lucky is dumb. Pozzo does not remember meeting the two men the night before. They leave and Vladimir and Estragon continue to wait.
• Shortly after, the boy enters and once again tells Vladimir that Godot will not be coming. He insists that he did not speak to Vladimir yesterday. After he leaves, Estragon and Vladimir decide to leave, but again they do not move as the curtain falls, ending the play.FREE VIDEOS - FULL PLAY (YOUTUBE)
• Waiting for Godot (2001) (Barry McGovern, Johnny Murphy)
• Waiting for Godot (TV “Play of the Week” 1961) (Burgess Meredith, Zero Mostel)
• Waiting for Godot (San Quentin Workshop, 1988)FREE VIDEOS - OTHER (YOUTUBE)
• Lecture: The meaning of Godot by Dr David Pattie University, University of Birmingham, 2019
• Waiting for Godot: The Absurdity of The Human Condition
• Interview with Antoinette Nwandu, author of Pass Over (a modern adaptation of Waiting for Godot, focusing two young Black men)
• Pass Over (film) Official Trailer from Amazon Studios (a modern adaptation of Waiting for Godot, focusing two young Black men)ARTICLES
• Wikipedia: Waiting for Godot
• Wikipedia: Samuel Beckett
• Wikipedia: Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu (a modern adaptation of Waiting for Godot, focusing two young Black men)
• SparkNotes: Waiting for Godot - Overview
• SparkNotes: Waiting for Godot - Full Play Summary
• SparkNotes: Waiting for Godot - Full Play Analysis
• SparkNotes: Waiting for Godot - Themes
• SparkNotes: Waiting for Godot - Motifs
• SparkNotes: Waiting for Godot - Symbols
• SparkNotes: Waiting for Godot - Questions & AnswersPODCAST
• The Play Podcast - Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett (56:23)LIVE PERFORMANCES IN MINNESOTA
Waiting for Godot (Sept. 12 - Oct. 11, 2026)
Guthrie Theater
818 S. 2nd St.
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612.225.6000 (Administration)
612.377.2224 (Box Office)BEST USED BOOK SELECTIONS IN THE TWIN CITIES
• Midway Books, St. Paul
• The Book House, Minneapolis
• James & Mary Laurie Booksellers, Minneapolis
• Magers and Quinn, Minneapolis
• Books Against the Current, St. Paul
• Half Price Books7 attendees
“As You Like It” Discussion
Minneapolis Central Library, room N-202, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, mn, USMinneapolis Central Library
(Downtown Minneapolis)
300 Nicollet Mall - Room N-202
Minneapolis, MN 55401There is underground parking beneath the library, off 4th St. S., for about $5. Go in to the Library lobby and then in to the book stacks area. Take the elevator or stairs up to the 2nd floor, then go all the way to the left.
This is a discussion about the play, not a reading or showing of it.
We hope to have a special guest from the Ten Thousand Things’s production of As You Like It. (Being performed Sept. 30 - Nov. 8, 2026)
SYNOPSIS OF THE PLAY (from the Folger Library)
• In As You Like It, witty words and romance play out against the disputes of divided pairs of brothers. Orlando’s older brother, Oliver, treats him badly and refuses him his small inheritance from their father’s estate; Oliver schemes instead to have Orlando die in a wrestling match. Meanwhile, Duke Frederick has forced his older brother, Duke Senior, into exile in the Forest of Arden.
• Duke Senior’s daughter, Rosalind, and Duke Frederick’s daughter, Celia, meet the victorious Orlando at the wrestling match; Orlando and Rosalind fall in love. Banished by her uncle, Rosalind assumes a male identity and leaves with Celia and their fool, Touchstone. Orlando flees Oliver’s murderous plots.
• In the Forest of Arden, Rosalind, in her male disguise, forms a teasing friendship with Orlando. Oliver, searching for Orlando, reforms after Orlando saves his life. Rosalind reveals her identity, triggering several weddings, including her own with Orlando and Celia’s with Oliver. Duke Frederick restores the dukedom to Duke Senior, who leaves the forest with his followers.FAMOUS QUOTES FROM THE PLAY
• Folger Library
• Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)FREE VIDEOS - FULL PLAY (YOUTUBE)
• Corinth Films (Laurence Olivier, Elisabeth Bergner) (1936)
• Rice University (2019)FREE VIDEOS - OTHER (YOUTUBE)
• Tim Nance: Shakespeare’s As You Like It Discussion and Summary
• Animated Shakespeare - As You Like ItARTICLES
• Wikipedia: As You Like It
• SparkNotes: As You Like It - Overview
• SparkNotes: As You Like It - Full Play Summary
• SparkNotes: As You Like It - Full Play Analysis
• SparkNotes: As You Like It - Themes
• SparkNotes: As You Like It - Motifs
• SparkNotes: As You Like It - Symbols
• A Modern Perspective: As You Like It by Susan Snyder
• Thrice welcome: The power of three in As You Like It by Austin Tichenor
• The Play’s the Thing: As You Like It
• Five things to look for when you watch As You Like It by Ben Lauer
• Dramaturg’s Notes: As You Like It by Michele Osherow
• Further Reading: As You Like ItPODCASTS
• Approaching Shakespeare (Emma Smith): As You Like It
• The Play’s the Thing: As You Like It, Act 1
• The Play’s the Thing: As You Like It, Act 2
• The Play’s the Thing: As You Like It, Act 3
• The Play’s the Thing: As You Like It, Act 4
• The Play’s the Thing: As You Like It, Act 5
• The Play’s the Thing: As You Like It, Bonus EpisodeLOCAL LIVE PERFORMANCES OF AS YOU LIKE IT
• Ten Thousand Things, Various locations in the Twin Cities (Sept. 30 - Nov. 8, 2026)GENERAL RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
• The Folger Shakespeare Library has free and paid (includes notes) downloadable texts of all of Shakespeare’s plays.
• The Folger Library: Shakespeare Documented has copies of original documents from Shakespeare’s time.
• No Sweat Shakespeare
• PlayShakespeare: The Ultimate Free Shakespeare Research
• Podcast: “Approaching Shakespeare”
• Podcast: “Shakespeare Unlimited” Play by Play
• Play On Podcasts
• SparkNotes 101: Shakespeare [Excellent synopses of all the plays.]
• Shakespeare After All by Marjorie Garber [Excellent analysis of all the plays.] Kindle edition only $5.99!
• Prima Facie: An End to Doubt: Shakespeare’s Authorship is a FactFACEBOOK PAGES
• The Official William Shakespeare Page
• Shakespeare Study Group
• William Shakespeare: His Works and His WorldAPP
• Shakespeare AppBEST SHAKESPEARE USED BOOK SELECTIONS IN THE TWIN CITIES
• Midway Books, St. Paul
• The Book House, Minneapolis
• James & Mary Laurie Booksellers, Minneapolis
• Magers and Quinn, Minneapolis
• Half Price Books2 attendees
“As You Like It” - Ten Thousand Things - Oct. 23
Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, 511 Groveland Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, US“As You Like It” by William Shakespeare
Performed by Ten Thousand ThingsFriday, October 23, 2026, 7:30 pm
Hennepin United Methodist Church
511 Groveland Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55403You can find more information about the venue here.
• The church is located across from Walker Art Center and Loring Park.
• Free parking is available in the large lot adjacent to the church.
• Enter through the front wooden door (East Entry), walk past the welcome desk. We will be performing on the second level in the art gallery. You can either take the stairs or the elevators.
• ADA accessible with handicap parking available.
• This performance was chosen for a Meetup because it features a post-show conversation.Purchase tickets on your own, online ahead of time or at the door. Suggested Price is $40 and Pay As You Are begins at $15.
Plot: To escape death, our heroine, her best friend, and one of Shakespeare’s funniest fools flee to the forest. Released from the court’s conventions, they discover earnest shepherds and ironic aristocrats – along with joy and forgiveness. Soon, closed hearts open, love transforms, and community takes root.
Directed by Caitlin Lowans
Music by Joni Griffith
Featuring Katie Bradley, Dustin Bronson, Isa Condo-Olvera, Darius Dotch, Bill McCallum, Nubia Monks, and Greg Watanabe with understudies Rayyan Khan and Laila Sahir
Stage Manager Matthew Meeks
Costume, Scenic & Props Designer Sarah Bahr
Text Coaching Will Sturdivant
Wrestling Choreographer Annie Enneking3 attendees
Past events
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