Percy Bysshe Shelley’s The Cenci

A Special Dramatic Reading Presented in Partnership with Red Bull Theater

The Romantic Revivals Project

Thursday, November 5, 2026

Director and cast to be announced soon

The Keats-Shelley Association of America is delighted to present a special dramatic reading of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s The Cenci (1819) in partnership with Red Bull Theater.

Based on a notorious case from Renaissance Rome, The Cenci tells the story of Beatrice Cenci and her struggle against the brutal authority of her father. At once a family tragedy, a political drama, and a meditation on justice, the play remains one of the most powerful and unsettling works of the Romantic period.

Although Shelley regarded The Cenci as his greatest dramatic achievement and envisioned it performed on the finest stages of his day, the play has appeared only rarely over the past two centuries. This reading offers audiences a rare opportunity to experience the work as it was meant to be encountered: spoken aloud, shared in community, and brought to life through performance.

Launching The Romantic Revivals Project

This event inaugurates the Romantic Revivals Project, a new initiative dedicated to bringing the dramatic works of the Romantic era back into performance and public conversation. Made possible through the generosity of George Krupp, the project builds upon more than a decade of collaborations among scholars, artists, students, and audiences committed to rediscovering the theatrical power of Romantic drama.

The choice of The Cenci is especially meaningful. Nearly two decades ago, a Red Bull Theater production of the play helped spark the conversations and partnerships that ultimately gave rise to this initiative. As the inaugural event of the Romantic Revivals Project, The Cenci marks both a new beginning and a return to the work that first inspired it.

Additional support for this production has been provided by the Byron Society of America, the Keats-Shelley House in Rome, and Jonathan Mulrooney. We are also grateful to the North American Society for the Study of Romanticism (NASSR) and the North American Victorian Studies Association (NAVSA) for helping extend the reach of the production through their 2026 joint conference.

The production will be directed by Eleanor Holdridge (Syracuse University), whose 2008 production of The Cenci helped inspire the creation of the Romantic Revivals Project. Holdridge has also developed her own performance adaptation of the play. Additional information about participating artists, tickets, and viewing opportunities will be announced soon by Red Bull Theater.

A Special Partnership with NASSR and NAVSA

As part of the 2026 Joint Conference of the North American Society for the Study of Romanticism (NASSR) and the North American Victorian Studies Association (NAVSA), conference participants will have the opportunity to experience The Cenci through a special screening program and scholarly roundtable. Both in person and virtual attendees will receive streaming access to the production, extending the reach of the event to classrooms, departments, and institutions around the world. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to bringing Romantic drama into conversation with contemporary scholarship, teaching, and public engagement.

Global Watch Parties Return

Following the success of our 2024 international celebration of Lord Byron’s Sardanapalus, we are once again inviting readers, students, scholars, and theater lovers around the world to experience Romantic drama together.

Registered watch party organizers will receive complimentary viewing access, discussion materials, and promotional resources to support local events. Whether you gather in a classroom, library, theater, bookstore, campus space, or living room, we hope you will join us in bringing Shelley's extraordinary tragedy to new audiences.

Two viewing options will be available for registered watch parties. Organizers may join the live broadcast alongside the New York City audience at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, November 5, 2026. Alternatively, groups may schedule their own local screening using our streaming option, which will be available between Sunday, November 8 and Sunday, November 15, 2026.

We invite classrooms, libraries, bookstores, theaters, cultural organizations, and community groups around the world to join us in bringing one of the Romantic period's most remarkable dramas back to life.

Host a Watch Party!

The Cenci