A Celebration Of All Things Shakespeare

“Searching For Shakespeare” is a new series beginning in September, sponsored in part by the Friends of C.H. Booth Library in honor of the library’s 75th anniversary. A film presentation, lecture, and discussion of each of six plays written by William Shakespeare, and a poetry discussion of Sonnets 55, 60, 66, 73, and 116 will attempt to make the Bard accessible to all ages and backgrounds, from novices to Shakespeare-lovers.

The discussion sessions will be led by local teachers and professors, all of whom share a passion for Shakespeare and his works.

Kicking off the series will be the film screening and discussion of Julius Caesar on Tuesday, September 11. This will be followed by a lecture by Dr Mark Schenker, associate dean at Yale College, Tuesday, September 25, and a play discussion hosted by Joyce Goldin and Peg Jacques on Thursday, September 27.

Newtown resident Professor Bill O’Connell of Norwalk Community College will be at Mocha Coffee House, 7 pm, September 20, to discuss some of the more familiar sonnets written by Shakespeare.

The film screening and discussion of Hamlet will be Tuesday, October 16, with a lecture by Dr Schenker to follow on Tuesday, October 23. Play discussion, led by Barbara Rudolf, will be Thursday, October 25.

The third Shakespeare play film and discussion will feature Othello, Tuesday, November 20, followed by Dr Schenker’s lecture on November 27 and play discussion on November 29, led by Liz Arneth.

Dr George Geckle, professor emeritus at the University of South Carolina, will lecture on The Merchant of Venice, Tuesday, January 8. The film screening will be Tuesday, January 15 and play discussion on Thursday, January 24.

Tuesday, February 12, a film showing and discussion of King Lear will take place. Dr Schenker will lecture on Tuesday, February 26, and the play discussion will follow on Thursday, February 28, led by Prof  O’Connell.

The film and discussion of the final play in the series, Macbeth, will take place Tuesday, March 11, followed by Dr Schenker’s lecture on Tuesday, March 25, and play discussion on Thursday, March 27, led by Martha West-Glynn.

Unless otherwise noted, all events will be held at C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street, in the meeting room, at 7 pm.

The Shakespeare extravaganza will include popular and foreign film adaptations of several Shakespearean plays, December 26, 27, and 28; and February 20, 21, and 22. The films will be screened in the meeting room of the library at 2 pm.

Thursday, April 3, at 7 pm, Dr Denise Kaiser will lead a Q&A session, “Filling in the Blanks: Common Questions About the Shakespeare Era.”

Shakespeare on the Sound will be at the library Sunday, April 6, at 3 pm, to present an interactive storytelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, geared toward both children and families.

Culminating the eight-month Shakespeare festival will be a spring 2008 celebration of the Elizabethan Age, with music and dancing by The Reel Thing and a dramatization by the Mask and Wig Players. Arts and crafts for children will be included in the final celebration of the Bard and his works.

To learn more about the series, call 426-4533 or visit chboothlibrary.org.