Folger festival fetes Bard's 443rd birthday

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There were more slices of cake yesterday than birthday anniversaries for William Shakespeare, but not nearly enough for the estimated 5,000 visitors at the Folger Shakespeare Library for the playwright's 443rd birthday celebration.

Drawn by the warm, sunny day, the crowd began arriving on Capitol Hill before noon as Metropolitan Police Department officers blocked streets for the celebration and parade.

It was the 28th Shakespeare open house at the 75-year-old Folger building, but the first for John Cox, a Vienna, Va., physicist.

"We've been members of the Folger Library for years, but have never been down for this event," said Mr. Cox, accompanied by his wife and 10-year-old daughter, Dianna.

"I liked the performance of the 9-foot unicycles," said Dianna, referring to one of the many stunts, shows and exhibits on the library yard and surrounding streets.

For more than four hours, men, women and children circulated outside and inside the massive library with its numerous showrooms, Shakespearean exhibits, gift shop, books and paintings. Above one door was the message, "I shower a welcome on ye; Welcome all. William Shakespeare."

On one stage, an audience applauded enthusiastically as Nell McKeown, 12, bowed, knelt, swayed and gracefully stepped about while reciting Mercutio's Queen Mab speech from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet."

Nell lives in Alexandria and has been doing Shakespeare for half her life.

A temporary stage on the lawn outdoors was surrounded by hundreds of spectators who gasped as swordsmen Casey Kaleba, 28, and Dan Curran, 41, both of Hyattsville, dueled in the sun.

Their misses and pretend strikes were described and explained by Brad Waller, 51, of Springfield, a choreographer-teacher of sword fights for 19 years.