Folger Announces Inaugural Director’s Residency — with Adjoa Andoh

DC, Lady Danbury will be holding court at the Folger in April.

The Folger Shakespeare Library has announced Adjoa Andoh, MBE, as the inaugural artist for its newly launched Director’s Residency. This new program will pair a prominent creative voice with the Folger’s famously formidable Shakespeare holdings. Think: Scholarship with spark, history with heat.

Conceived by Folger Director Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper, the residency is designed to place artists and intellectuals in direct dialogue with the humanities, using Shakespeare as both springboard and sounding board.

From April 19–25, Andoh will be fully immersed in Washington life, consulting the Folger’s collection, connecting with students, collaborating with local cultural institutions, and participating in a slate of public programs that invite the city into the conversation.

“The Folger is home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, uniquely positioned at the heart of the nation’s capital,” said Karim-Cooper. “By placing prominent artists, scholars, authors, and thinkers in direct dialogue with our resources, we hope to ignite new ways of imagining and understanding the world.”

In other words — this is Shakespeare for right now.

While many American audiences know Andoh best as the formidable Lady Danbury on Bridgerton, her Shakespearean bona fides run deep. A celebrated actor, director, writer, and mentor, Andoh has spent decades reshaping classical theater, most notably when she conceived, co-directed, and starred in Richard II at Shakespeare’s Globe in the UK’s first all–women of color production. (Yes, that Richard II will be screened at the Folger on Tuesday, April 21.)

Public programming during the residency also includes a talk on Sunday, April 19, with Andoh serving as special guest at the 2026 Folger Gala on Friday, April 24. Details on the gala can be found here, with additional program announcements forthcoming.

“Adjoa is the ideal person to work with as we establish this residency,” Karim-Cooper shared, citing Andoh’s depth, dynamism, and dedication to expanding how, and who, we see in Shakespeare.

For a city that thrives on ideas, institutions, and inspired exchange, the Folger’s Director’s Residency feels like a natural next act. With Andoh in residence, expect a week of bold questions, rich dialogue, and a reminder that even a 400-year-old playwright still has plenty to say.