William Shakespeare (1564-1616), often referred to as the Bard of Avon, was a poet, playwright, and actor who is widely regarded as one of the most influential writers in the history of the English language. Shakespeare's vast body of work includes comedic, tragic, and historical plays; poems; and 154 sonnets. His dramatic works have been translated into every major language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Jonathan Bate is professor of Shakespeare and Renaissance literature at the University of Warwick. Widely known as an award-winning biographer, critic, and broadcaster, Bate is the author of several books on Shakespeare, including Shakespeare and Ovid and The Genius of Shakespeare, which was described by Sir Peter Hall, founder of the RSC, as "the best modern book on Shakespeare."

Eric Rasmussen is professor of English and director of graduate study at the University of Nevada. He is a co-editor of the Norton Anthology of English Renaissance Drama and of the forthcoming New Variorum Shakespeare edition of Hamlet. He has edited a number of works for the Arden Shakespeare series, Oxford's World's Classics, and the Revels Plays series, and is the general textual editor of the Internet Shakespeare Editions Project.

The Royal Shakespeare Company is a world-renowned ensemble theatre company in London and Stratford, dedicated to bringing Shakespeare and his contemporaries to a modern audience.