أكبر الفعاليات الثقافية في العالم
Visit these cultural hot spots in 2024 - National Geographic
From Estonia to South Africa, these 20 new museums, heritage trails, and artful experiences dive deep into communities and traditions.
Jan 30, 2024
Where We Belong
Fans of the Bard will find the world’s largest collection of Shakespeareana at this newly renovated and expanded museum and library reopening in June. Located in Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, the Folger has more First Folios—the rare 1623 book containing all of Shakespeare’s plays—than anywhere else in the world (82, in fact). An Elizabethan-style stage presents both classic and new works (such as Mohegan playwright-performer Madeline Sayet’s <anchor>Where We Belong</anchor> February 15 to March 10). Newly accessible entrances lead to interactive exhibits and a garden planted with rosemary, lavender, and other plants mentioned in Will’s works.
Folger Theatre: Where We Belong
## Website navigation

Search the FolgerSearch

Performances, events, and exhibitions

- What’s on



## What's on

There’s something for everyone. From award-winning theater and music, to poetry and exhibitions, experience the power of the arts with us.

- Calendar Upcoming events

- Exhibitions Explore what's on view

- Families Poetry, puppets, dance, and more for young visitors

- Music Folger Consort, our early music ensemble in residence, and more

- Romeo and Juliet A timely take on the famous star-crossed lovers. Get showtimes and tickets.

- Subscriptions 2024-2025 season subscriptions on sale now: "Whose Democracy?"

- Visit

People walking through a garden, sitting on benches, and sitting on a blanket in the grass

## Visit

The Folger is open! Learn about what's new and plan your visit.

Shakespeare, his world, and beyond

- Explore



## Explore

Discover Shakespeare’s stories and the world that shaped them. Deepen your understanding of his works and their cultural influence.

- Shakespeare's works Read and learn more about Shakespeare's plays and poems

- Shakespeare in print The First Folio (the book that gave us Shakespeare) and what came after

- Shakespeare in performance From playhouse to film sets, explore four centuries of staging Shakespeare

- Shakespeare's life Find out about Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London

- Collection highlights See manuscripts, paintings, costumes, and more from the Folger collection

- Shakespeare for kids Resources and activities for young children and their parents

- Teach

female student holding a Folger Shakespeare edition

## Teach

Bring Shakespeare’s work to life in the classroom. Find teaching resources and opportunities.

- Teaching with the Folger Method An accessible and immersive way to teach students about any kind of literature

- Become a Teacher Member Get full access to the latest resources and ongoing professional development

- Professional development From live webinars to on-demand content for educators, join us

- Teaching resources Access lesson plans and activities for the classroom, organized by play

- Shakespeare's works Read and search the complete works of Shakespeare for free

- Student programs All kinds of programs for all kinds of students

- Research



## Research

Dive deep into the world’s largest Shakespeare collection and access primary sources from the early modern period.

- About our collections From printed works of Shakespeare to rare materials from the early modern period
- Use the library Researcher registration and reference services
- Folger Institute Find out about our scholarly programs and fellowship opportunities
- Search the catalog Use our online catalog to search the Folger collection
- Online resources Access our digital image collection, finding aids, and more
- Ask a librarian Get answers to your questions about Shakespeare, our collection, and more

Become a part of the story

- Join and Support



## Join and Support

Support us to bring Shakespeare and his world to life for everyone.

- Become a member Unlock more of the Folger with a membership
- Donate now Make a gift online
- How to give More options for how to make your donation
- The Wonder of Will Our campaign supporting the building renovation project
- Planned giving Help keep the Folger going and growing for the next generation
- Folger Gala A celebratory evening to benefit the Folger

CloseMenu

# Where We Belong

By Madeline Sayet

Directed by Mei Ann Teo

In association with Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company



Toggle Caption

Madeline Sayet in Where We Belong. Photo by Jon Burklund

## Booking and details

This event has passed.

Dates
Thu, Feb 15 – Sun, Mar 10, 2024

Tickets
$20 – $84

To celebrate and honor members of the Indigenous community, complimentary tickets are available through the entire run of the show to those who identify as part of the community. To redeem this offer, please contact the Folger Box Office at (202) 544-7077.

In 2015, Mohegan theater-maker Madeline Sayet travels to England to pursue a PhD in Shakespeare, where she finds a country that refuses to acknowledge its ongoing role in colonialism, just as the Brexit vote threatens to further disengage the UK from the wider world.

In this stirring solo piece, Madeline echoes a journey to England braved by her Native ancestors in the 1700s following treaty betrayals—and forces us to consider what it means to belong in an increasingly globalized world.

Following its world premiere in June 2021—presented by Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and the Folger Shakespeare Library— Where We Belong has enjoyed a successful national tour, with performances at Philadelphia Theatre Company, the Goodman Theatre, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Repertory Theatre, The Public Theater, Portland Center Stage, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

An earlier version of Where We Belong was produced in London at Richmix and Shakespeare’s Globe in 2019, as part of Border Crossings’ Origins Festival, the UK’s only large-scale multidisciplinary festival of Indigenous arts and culture.

Please note: Children under the age of 4 are not permitted.

## Watch the trailer

## Conversation with playwright and performer, Madeline Sayet







View gallery



#### Production photos

All photos by Erika Nizborski Photography

## Caution

This production uses flashing lights that may not be suitable for those with sensitivities to light. Please see a visitor experience team member for details.

## Content transparency

This production contains depictions of racism and discussions of borders, war, loss of language, residential schools, colonial theft of human remains and repatriation.

## Cast

Madeline Sayet 

Playwright and Performer

Madeline Sayet



### Madeline Sayet

Madeline Sayet ( Playwright, Performer) is a Mohegan theater maker who believes the stories we pass down inform our collective possible futures. Her plays include: Where We Belong, Up and Down the River, Antigone Or And Still She Must Rise Up, Daughters of Leda, The Neverland, and The Fish. As a director her work includes: Bard at the Gate: Joy Harjo’s Wings of a Night Sky; Perseverance Theatre: Tlingit Christmas Carol, Whale Song; South Dakota Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Connecticut Repertory Theatre: Henry IV; Delaware Shakespeare: As You Like It; Amerinda/HERE Arts: The Winter’s Tale; Powwow Highway; Krannert Center: The Neverland, Poppea; Glimmerglass: The Magic Flute; 59E59: Miss Lead.

### Buy the script

Pre-order your copy of Where We Belong (Bloomsbury Publishing) and pick it up at your performance.

### Pre-show playlist

Listen to songs from Native artists in this Spotify playlist, created for Where We Belong at The Public Theater.

### Related podcast

Shakespeare Unlimited

### Madeline Sayet on Where We Belong

Posted
June 1, 2021

We talk with Madeline Sayet about growing up Mohegan in Connecticut, her evolving relationship with Shakespeare today, and what it means to belong in a complicated world.

## Creative team

Mei Ann Teo 

Director

Mei Ann Teo



### Mei Ann Teo

Mei Ann Teo (Director) is a queer immigrant from Singapore making theater and film at the intersection of artistic/civic/contemplative practice. As a director/devisor/dramaturg, they create across genres, including music theater, intermedial participatory work, reimagining classics, and documentary theater. Teo’s work has been in international festivals including Belgium’s Festival de Liege, Edinburgh International Fringe, Beijing International Festival, Singapore Theatre Festival.

Hao Bai 

Production Designer

Hao Bai



### Hao Bai

Hao Bai (Production Designer) Hao is a multidisciplinary designer in lighting, sound, video projection, and world-building (environment) for live and virtual performances.

Asa Benally 

Costume Designer

Asa Benally



### Asa Benally

Asa Benally ( Costume Designer) Citizen of the Navajo and Cherokee Nations. Stratford Festival: The Rez Sisters, 1939; Waterwell: 7 Minutes; The Gingold Group: Mrs. Warren’s Profession; Keen Company: Blues for an Alabama Sky(Drama Desk nomination); Syracuse Stage: Somewhere Over the Border; George Street Playhouse: Too Heavy For Your Pocket; Westport Country Playhouse: Skeleton Crew; Juilliard School: Father Comes Home From the Wars); Public Theater Mobile Unit: Measure for Measure; Yale Rep: Cymbeline; The Bushwick School of Drama: Coriolanus, The Seagull; Perseverance Theater: Whale Song; Yale Cabaret: Roberto Zucco;HERE: The Winter’s Tale. Asabenally.com @Asa_Benally_Design

Colin K. Bills 

Consultant

Colin K. Bills



### Colin K. Bills

Colin K. Bills( Consultant) is a DC-based theater artist, having worked with nearly every theater in the area.  At Folger, he designed the lighting for the 2019 production of Love’s Labor’s Lost. He is a Company Member and Board Member at Woolly Mammoth where he has designed over fifty productions and was the Production Manager for the National Tour of Where We Belong.  He was a founding member of the devised theater troupe dog & pony dc, serving as director, writer, actor, and designer for a dozen new works including Beertown and A Killing Game.  Colin is the recipient of a Princess Grace Award and three Helen Hayes Awards.  He has taught design at Howard University and is a graduate of Dartmouth College.

Genevieve Dornemann 

Assistant Stage Manager

Genevieve Dornemann



### Genevieve Dornemann

Genevieve is excited to be working with Folger Theatre for the first time. As an Assistant Stage Manager, her work includes: Kennedy Center TYA: The Mortification of Fovea Munson; Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company: Teenage Dick; Theater J: Compulsion or the House Behind. Genevieve has also worked as a Production Stage Manager at: Rep Stage: Songs for a New World; Synetic Theater: The Tempest. She has worked as a Production Assistant at Shakespeare Theatre Company: Evita, Macbeth in Stride; Signature Theatre: Sweeney Todd. She also enjoys running shows and has worked as Deck Crew at Signature Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, and Lookingglass Theatre Company.

Taylor Kiechlin 

Production Stage Manager

Taylor Kiechlin



### Taylor Kiechlin

Taylor Kiechlin( Production Stage Manager) Folger Theatre: The Winter’s Tale, Nathan the Wise(in association with Theatre J) . Credits include: Studio Theatre: Fun Home, Espejos: Clean; Signature Theatre Company: Passing Strange, Into the Woods, La Cage aux Folles; Ford’s Theatre: Born Yesterday, A Christmas Carol, 12 Angry Men, Into the Woods, Fences, Silent Sky, Guys and Dolls, Come From Away: Concert at the Lincoln Memorial; Kennedy Center: Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie; Theatre J: Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story. Other regional credits include: GLCFA: Godspell; BRT: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Quartet, Times Stands Still,  Triumph of Love, The Producers; Williamstown Theater Festival: Moscow x6.

\* Member of Actors’ Equity Association

Lisa Nathans 

Voice and Text Coach

Lisa Nathans



### Lisa Nathans

Lisa Nathans( Vocal Coach) Folger Theatre: The Winter’s Tale. DC work includes Arena Stage, Kennedy Center, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Olney Theatre, Ford’s Theatre. Regional work includes Guthrie (Minneapolis), 5th Avenue (Seattle), Theatricum Botanicum (LA). Central School of Speech and Drama (MFA), Boston University (BFA). Associate Professor of Voice and Acting at University of Maryland’s School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies. Lisa is a designated Linklater Voice teacher and a certified Colaianni Speech practitioner.

Emily Preis 

Achokayis Standby

Emily Preis



### Emily Preis

Emily Preis ( Achokayis) is a proud citizen of the Osage Nation. Folger Theatre: debut. Select collaborators: Eric Avery, Siobhan Brown, Elizabeth Cook, Deborah Cowell, Sabine Decatur, Madeline Easely, Imani Guy Duckett, Miranda Hall Jiménez, Daniel Leeman Smith, Madison Mayer, storäe michele, Najee Omar, Calliope Pina Parker, Maleek Rae, Mauricio Salgado, Andrina Smith, Henu Josephine Tarrant, Drew Woodson, Groundwater Arts, New Native Theatre, The Mercury Store, Perseverance Theatre, Safe Harbors NYC ensemble. Awards: 2021 YIPAP Misty Upham Award Finalist, 2023 SPACE on Ryder Farm Greenhouse Resident.

Erik Schilke 

Musical Composer & Sound Designer

Erik Schilke



### Erik Schilke

Erik Schilke ( Musical Composer and Sound Designer) is an ambient electronic artist and music producer working in theater, film and visual media. His debut album Synthesis was recently released on the German label Hymen Records. He has previously scored film projects for acclaimed directors including the book trailer for Seth Godin’s The Practice directed by Fernando Lazzari, Michael Pantozzi’s Off the Face of the Earth, Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel’s Flying Birds Diary, and The Wishing Well directed by Madeline Sayet. His work as a composer and sound designer has been seen at The Public Theater, Goodman Theatre, Seattle Rep (Heilman & Haver Award Nomination for best Sound Design), Philadelphia Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival and Baltimore Center Stage and internationally in museums such as Pixelbase and Moravská Galerie in Prague as well as online magazines including Stash Media.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company 

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company



### Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

The Tony Award®-winning Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company creates badass theatre that highlights the stunning, challenging, and tremendous complexity of our world. For over 40 years, Woolly has maintained a high standard of artistic rigor while simultaneously daring to take risks, innovate, and push beyond perceived boundaries. One of the few remaining theatres in the country to maintain a company of artists, Woolly serves an essential research and development role within the American theatre. Plays premiered here have gone on to productions at hundreds of theatres all over the world and have had lasting impacts on the field. Currently co-led by Artistic Director Maria Manuela Goyanes and Managing Director Kimberly E. Douglas, Woolly is located in Washington, DC, equidistant from the Capitol and the White House. This unique location influences Woolly’s investment in actively working towards an equitable, participatory, and creative democracy.

## Folger Theatre Sponsors

#### With special thanks to

The Share Fund

#### Premier Season Sponsor

Dr. Bill and Evelyn Braithwaite

#### Season Sponsor

Helen and David Kenney & Family

Andrea “Andi” Kasarsky

#### Production Sponsor

Nancy and Steve Howard ( Romeo and Juliet)

#### Contributing Sponsor

Celia and Keith Arnaud

Gail Kern Paster

#### Associate Sponsor

Timothy J. Carlton ( Romeo and Juliet)

Wes and Sly Hallman

Peter and Mary Pennington

Rick Kasten ( Romeo and Juliet)

#### Artist Sponsor

Karl K. and Carrol Benner Kindel

## Accessibility

Folger Theatre provides accessible seating, assisted listening devices, and ASL interpretation. Please contact us at VisitorServices@folger.edu or (202) 544–7077 with questions or requests. More information

### Relaxed performances

- Sunday, February 25, 2024, at 7:30pm
- Saturday, March 2, 2024, at 2pm

Relaxed performances are designed to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for audiences that may receive and react to information in different ways. The content of the production is the same, but strobes and flashing lights have be removed for these performances.

## ASL interpretation

- Friday, March 1 at 8pm

For information about the best seat locations from which to see the interpreter, contact us at VisitorServices@folger.edu or (202) 544–7077.

### Masked performances

- Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 2pm and 8pm

At the request of many audience members, Folger Theatre has denoted several performances during the 2023|24 season as mask-required by all audience members, staff, and volunteers. If you need a mask, we are happy to provide one to you. Learn more

### Open-captioned performances

- Sunday, March 10, 2024, at 2pm and 7:30pm

Open-captioning makes live theater performances accessible by using a non-intrusive caption board at the front of the stage which scrolls the entire text of the production in real time. For information about the best seat locations from which to see the caption board, contact us at VisitorServices@folger.edu or (202) 544–7077.

## Special performances

## Celebrating Native Performance

From Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Woolly Mammoth will present Celebrating Native Performance: A Core Partner Welcome on Tuesday, March 5 at 7:30 PM. Woolly Mammoth’s new Core Partners, Miss Chief Rocka (hoop dancer and performer also known as Lunacee) and Mary Phillips (singer and performer, member of Zotigh Singers and Uptown Singerz), will give performances and speak in group discussions about their artistry. The evening also includes Phillips performing along with the Zotigh Singers and an interactive demonstration on hoop dancing from Miss Chief Rocka.

NATIVE AMERICAN ART MARKET

Woolly Mammoth will also host its first ever Native American Art Market on Saturday, March 9 from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Native American artisans and craftspeople will have booths to display and sell their wares — including goods such as beadwork, jewelry, and more. The market is presented in collaboration with Native bead worker, Senajewen. The day will also include two free workshops, soon to be announced.

### Post show discussion

- Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 7:30pm

Join us after the show for a free conversation with the cast moderated by Mary Kathryn Nagle.

## Related events

This event has passed.

## Stay connected

Find out what’s on, read our latest stories, and learn how you can get involved.

## Footer information

Folger Shakespeare Library

201 East Capitol Street, SE

## Follow us on social media

© 1996 - 2024 Folger Shakespeare Library