“Invite People In”

Karen Ann Daniels Artistic Director & Director of Programming at Folger Shakespeare Library

Karen Ann Daniels has so many skills, talents, and experiences, she could break LinkedIn. A performer, singer, songwriter, adaptor, educator, director, and leader, she has been the artistic director and director of programming at the Folger Shakespeare Library since fall 2021. 

In January 2023, she launched the Reading Room, a new works festival dedicated to showcasing how contemporary artists and scholars are thinking about and tinkering with Shakespeare and his ideas, breathing new life into the Bard's work. We discuss how her team finds, curates, and supports projects, as well as how audience members can actively participate in the creative process themselves. She discusses the 2026 offerings, future directions the festival might take, and her upcoming Folger directorial debut, As You Like It in Spring 2026. 

Learn more about the 2026 Reading Room, follow the Folger Library on Instagram, and Karen Ann while you're at it.