Find your voice — and your people — at Shakespeare Allowed!

Four hundred years after William Shakespeare proclaimed, “All the world’s a stage,” his clever and iconic turns of phrase continue to attract fans to his body of work — including at a merry, monthly communal table read at the Inglewood branch.

Founded in 2008, Shakespeare Allowed! is a longstanding partnership between NPL and the Nashville Shakespeare Festival (NSF) offering a welcoming space for all to play a part in the Bard’s enduring literary legacy.

The Play’s the Thing 

If you’ve forgotten everything you learned in high school literature class, fear not. Organizers choose a different play each month, and all are welcome. Bring your own copy of the play, or get one from staff. Take a seat and take turns reading, round-robin style, from prologue to final couplet. Just want to listen along? 

That’s allowed! 

Each reading session lasts anywhere from 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours—about the same time it takes to watch the play, said Robert Marigza-Yeo, NSF’s finance and operations director.

Sit by my Side, and Let the World Slip

“No matter who you are, it can be tough to read Shakespeare by yourself — you can get lost in the layers of meaning and complicated histories,” Marigza-Yeo said. “Some of our folks are reading these plays for the first time, while others have been coming for years.”

Freddy “Too Slim” LaBour, co-founder of country/swing band Riders In The Sky is one of those regulars. The mustachioed, multi-talented country music legend just happens to have a penchant for Elizabethan literature.

“Shakespeare Allowed! is a tiny-but-bright jewel in the crown of Nashville culture,” Slim said after the February Merchant of Venice reading. “[We are] an ad hoc blend of citizens who care about literature, theatre, poetry, or the sound of the well-spoken word.”

Meanwhile, Chris, another Library patron, chose to take a seat in the back.

“I was interested in Shakespeare quite a while ago and had always intended to get back into it,” she said. “This opportunity presented itself, and I think it's fabulous.”

“I’m not ready yet,” she added. “but I may read aloud next time.”

A Table Full of Welcome

Shakespeare Allowed! consistently attracts a wide crew of readers of all ages and skill levels who want to spend their Saturday breathing life into the words of Shakespeare, together, out loud, in real time. 

As he’s helped run the read-alouds, Robert has seen  an uptick in teen attendance when teachers assign MNPS students classics like Romeo and Juliet or King Lear.

“Surprisingly, teens have been some of the most consistent attendees,” he said. “Some of them have come back again and again, and have read the entire canon.”

One couple brought their 14-year-old son, who at an early age became fascinated with Shakespeare’s works and now loves spending time with a group of kindred spirits—who have been a rare find, until now. 

Lend Me Your Ears

Reading Shakespeare’s works aloud is actually the most meaningful (and authentic) way to experience them, said Lipscomb University English Professor Matt Hearn.

“It's really important to remember that William Shakespeare was writing primarily for the listening ears of his spectators, not their reading eyes,” he said.

“It's the power of his uttered, embodied language that induces us to imagine not just the physical actions, but more importantly, the complex emotions that energize them,” he continued. "That's what really attracts us to what he represents on the stage. Unless you hear Shakespeare, you haven't really experienced Shakespeare.”

All’s Well That Ends Well

Each Shakespeare Allowed! reading often ends with informal discussions and spirited commentary around the table, even after a three- or four-hour read. The camaraderie that grows during the shared experience brings  participants back, time after time.

“I'm always amazed at how bright and thoughtful the group's reactions to the plays are,” one participant said. “They always stimulate me to [look at] what we've just read through a new lens. It’s like a college class you look forward to."
 

Plan to go: 2026 Shakespeare Allowed! Schedule

Shakespeare Allowed! happens the first Saturday of every month at noon at the Inglewood branch until the Main Library reopens. Pick up a Shakespeare passport and receive a stamp after every reading. No registration necessary. 

• 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

As You Like It: Shakespeare Content to Love

At NPL, you can experience Shakespeare in the ways that suit you best. Enjoy Twelfth Night as an illustrated children’s book. Listen to As You Like it on audio. Experience A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a graphic novel. 

On Kanopy, stream Much Ado About Nothing, Ophelia, Romeo and Juliet, and Shakespeare In Love. Whatever works for you, dive in. NPL's collection has lots to love.

Following are a few recommendations for all ages from NPL’s Collection Development team.