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William Shakespeare - Born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, the exact date of Shakespeare's birth is unknown. He was baptized on April 26, 1564 and died on April 23, 1616.

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Stratford-Upon-Avon -

The son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, William is believed to have been born in this house. The premises is now a museum.

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The world's greatest dramatist - Regularly cited as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist, Shakespeare wrote 39 plays. Pictured is the title page of the First Folio, published posthumously in 1623.

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England's national poet - Also regarded as England's national poet, Shakespeare's works include 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems. Pictured is the title page from the 1609 edition of 'Shake-Speares Sonnets.'

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Sir Henry Irving (1838–1905) - The English stage actor was celebrated throughout British classical theater circles for his successful productions of many of Shakespeare's plays. He's pictured here as 'Hamlet,' in an 1893 illustration from 'The Idler' magazine.

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Laurence Olivier (1907–1989) - Famed thespian Laurence Olivier, arguably the greatest actor Britain has ever produced, pictured in the 1944 film production of 'Henry V,' which he also produced and directed.

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'Henry V' (1944) -

Olivier's sweeping Technicolor film adaptation of 'Henry V' proved a huge morale booster for Britain, still at war with Germany. The movie was highly acclaimed around the world.

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John Gielgud (1904–2000) -

The distinguished English actor and theater director was an early exponent of Shakespeare. He's pictured as Benedick in a 1959 production of 'Much Ado About Nothing.'

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Ralph Richardson (1902–1983) - Ralph Richardson in 'Richard III.' Richardson, together with Olivier and Gielgud, dominated the English stage of the mid-20th century, and was equally known for his Shakespearean roles.

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Richard Burton (1925–1984) -

Welsh film and stage actor Richard Burton takes the lead in the 1953 Old Vic production of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet,' at the Assembly Hall, Edinburgh. For a while, Burton appeared as the natural successor to Olivier, but was later accused of squandering his theatrical talent for Hollywood stardom.

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Orson Welles - The June 1938 front cover of 'Stage' magazine featuring Orson Welles in costume as Brutus in the Mercury Theatre production 'Julius Caesar.'

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An unconventional Caesar - Welles' daring modern-dress bare-stage production was very unconventional for the time. He is pictured as Brutus, with a young Arthur Anderson playing Lucius in the tent scene.

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The Beatles play the Bard - The Fab Four rehearsing a spoof skit from Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' at a London TV studio in 1964.

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Judi Dench - Judi Dench as the Queen and Alec McCowen (1925–2017) in the title role at a dress rehearsal for a production of Shakespeare's 'Richard II' at the Old Vic in London in 1960.

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The Globe Theatre, London - The original Globe Theatre, where many of Shakespeare's plays were first performed in public, was built in 1599. A fire destroyed this building in 1613. The second Globe (illustrated) was inaugurated in 1614.

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The Globe Theatre interior -

This is an illustration of what the second Globe looked like circa 1617-1619.

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Sam Wanamaker (1919–1993) - The American actor and director was instrumental in recreating Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, a project he began in the early 1970s.

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Global success -

Wanamaker became the executive director of the Globe Theatre Trust, but sadly died before his dream could be realized.

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Shakespeare's Globe, London - The new theater, based on the approximate designs of 1599 and 1614 and constructed near the original location, opened to the public in 1997 as Shakespeare's Globe.

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Peggy Ashcroft (1907–1991) - One of the leading actresses of her generation and founding member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Ashcroft is seen here in the 1953 Royal Shakespeare Theatre production of 'Antony and Cleopatra.'

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Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) -

Based in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace, the RSC was founded in March 1961 as a theater company that focuses on producing plays by Shakespeare and those of his contemporaries. It also produces new work from living artists.

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Kenneth Branagh - The acclaimed British actor has both directed and starred in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays. As a Shakespearean, he's also appeared on-stage, and once toured the UK with three plays simultaneously, as the 'Renaissance Shakespeare on the Road.'

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'Shakespeare in Love' (1998) - Joseph Fiennes' whimsical portrayal of the playwright caught the imagination of the public, and the film was a critical and commercial success. Co-star Gwyneth Paltrow won an Academy Award for Best Actress, while Judi Dench took Best Supporting Actress honors.

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Shakespeare on Film - Multi-award winning British actor Ian McKellen attends the 2016 Shakespeare on Film launch at the British Film Institute in London. McKellen is highly respected for his many Shakespearean roles.

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The Public Theater -

Originally founded in 1954 as the Shakespeare Workshop, The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization dedicated to showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.

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The Delacorte Theater - The Delacorte Theater is a 1,800-seat open-air theater located in New York's Central Park and home to the Public Theater's free Shakespeare in the Park productions.

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Al Pacino in 'The Merchant of Venice' - The Hollywood actor as Shylock in 'The Merchant of Venice.' The acclaimed production ran on Broadway in 2010 and earned US$1 million at the box office in its first week. The performance also garnered Pacino a Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Play.

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Kevin Kline - Kline began his acting career performing in Shakespeare across the US. Between movie commitments, he has appeared many times in New York Shakespeare Festival productions of the Bard's plays, including 'Much Ado About Nothing' and 'Hamlet.'

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Denzel Washington in 'Julius Caesar' - In 2005, Denzel Washington whipped up applause on Broadway as Marcus Brutus in 'Julius Caesar.' Despite lukewarm reviews, the play was a consistent sell-out. No stranger to Shakespeare, the actor had previously appeared in the title role of the Public Theater's production of 'Richard III.'

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Ethan Hawke - One of Hollywood's most mercurial stars, Hawke has appeared in numerous theater productions, among them the Sam Mendes-directed 'The Winter's Tale.' He's pictured in 2006 at The Public Theater's Summer Gala and opening night performance of 'Macbeth.'

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Christopher Walken - Christopher Walken has played the lead in 'Hamlet,' 'Macbeth,' 'Romeo and Juliet,' and 'Coriolanus'. He's pictured at the New York Shakespeare Festival in 1976.

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Liev Schreiber - Well-known onscreen, Schreiber is also a highly respected classical actor. Indeed, theater critics have expounded the American's aptitude at playing Shakespeare in plays such as 'Cymbeline,' 'Hamlet,' and 'Macbeth.'

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James Earl Jones -

An accomplished stage actor as well as a star of screen, James Earl Jones has acted in many Shakespearean roles, notably 'Othello,' 'King Lear,' and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.'

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