He passed away on the day of his own birthday and was buried in the church of the Holy Trinity

near the baptismal font where he was baptized in his native Stratford -upon-Avon.

He wrote texts for the company of the wonderful actor Richard Burbage, who played at the renowned Globe Theatre. The motto of the theatre was “All the world’s a stage and all men and women are merely players”. Shakespeare himself played only small parts – for example, the shadow of Hamlet’s father. But Shakespeare-the-playwright has conquered Shakespeare-the-actor and has become the author of all times. He left us a heritage of 37 plays, more than a hundred sonnets, poems, many mysteries, legends…in a word, a whole world, comprising life in all its contradictions, originality and contrasts.

The Vakhtangov Theatre has addressed to Shakespeare’s works 12 times during its history.

In 1932 a director and actor from Leningrad Nikolai Akimov stages the play “Hamlet” on the Vakhtangov stage. Anatoly Goryunov, a stoutish comedian with a short statute, is entrusted a title role. The audience was expecting familiar elegant reflective prince. Akimov, on the contrary, has noticed in Hamlet an active representative of the Renaissance epoch, devoid of doubt and melancholy and full of determination to regain the usurped throne. The production was accused of formalism, stigmatized and was taken off the repertoire a year after, but those who managed to see it, have marked the originality of a stage-version, unusual characters solution and a notable visual appeal.

For the second time “Hamlet” appeared on the Vakhtangov stage in 1958. Boris Zakhava has directed it exclusively for Michael Astangov, who had been dreaming about this part for many years, and although the 58-year-old actor was too old for the young prince, he created a character of a great tragic force

In 1936, Joseph Rapoport puts on stage a sparkling comedy “Much Ado About Nothing”, which became one of the legends of the theatre. The main roles of Beatrice and Benedict were brilliantly performed by Ruben Simonov and Cecilia Mansurova. The production was easy, colorful and melodious (music by Tikhon Khrennikov).

In 1952 Yevgeny Simonov turns to the play “Two Gentlemen of Verona”. An all-time wit Nikolai Erdman wrote couplets, while the actors Vladimir Etush and Maxim Grekov were delightful starring in the roles of servants and jesters Launs and Speed

“Romeo and Juliet” of Joseph Rapoport (1956) was a quite traditional production, with lush scenery executed by Vadim Ryndin. The main parts were performed by two pairs – Yuri Lyubimov and Lyudmila Tselikovskaya, Galina Pashkova and Vyacheslav Dugin.

“Antony and Cleopatra” directed by Yevgeny Simonov (1971) is one of the best Shakespearean performances with Mikhail Ulyanov, Yulia Borisova and Vasily Lanovoi starring.

In 1976, the Armenian director Rachiya Ghaplanyan stages “Richard III” for Mikhail Ulyanov, which becomes one of the peaks in his acting career.

“Othello” directed by Yevgeny Marcelli (2000) was a controversial performance both in the interpretation of the characters and in the general solution. However a refined theatricality and tragicalness of the final scene was noted by everyone.

In 2003, Vladimir Mirzoyev puts on stage the play “Lear”, in which the main character played by Maxim Sukhanov, wading through betrayal, lies and despair find the way to oneself, realizing that the answer to the question “Who are you?” depends on how the life-long road is passed.

The first performance of Rimas Tuminas on the post of Artistic director of the Vakhtangov theater became “Troilus and Cressida” (2008). The unusual shocking form was combined with painful reflections on human imperfection and ineradicable power of vice. The performance was union of actors of different generations.

In 2010, an experimentalist Yuri Butusov stages “Measure for Measure”. This performance was shown at the “GLOBE TO GLOBE” festival in London and acknowledged by British critics a favorite of the London theatre season 2011-2012. The main surprise for the audience was to see Sergei Epishev in two roles – both the Duke and Angelo.

The premiere of the theatre season 2012-2013, an original choreographic performance “Othello” directed by the choreographer Angelica Cholina, giving the go-ahead to the actors Gregory Antipenko, Olga Lerman and Victor Dobronravov.

April 26, the performance of “Measure for Measure” by Yuri Butusov was shown at the International Shakespeare Festival in Craiova (Romania).