Ars Shakespearica: The Art of Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet: Monday, November 8 | 6:00 PM Eastern Time | In-person 

Sure to be one of the most sought after reservations, this unique performance by Tony Award actor Donald Hicken goes a step further. The audience gets to join in on the reading! This event is a collaboration between the library and the Classic Theatre of Maryland. 

“In partnership with The Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society and Shakespeare Festival and the Classic Theatre of Maryland (CTM) join the Tony-Award nominated, Helen-Hayes Award-winning Donald Hicken as he leads participants through an immersive, interactive play-read of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. This experience includes unified discussions, textual analysis, and live demonstrations by CTM’s starring performers, Joshua Olumide (SAGe, EMC), and Kira Janine. The team will be supported by CTM’s Founder and Producing Artistic Director Sally Boyett and Director of Education Matt Tucker (MDiv, ORDM).
Donald Hicken brings fifty years of professional theatrical experience and conservatory training with him, formerly served as the Department Head of Theatre at The Baltimore School for the Arts from its founding in 1979 to his retirement in 2016, and now serves as Chairman of the Board for CTM. The mission of the Classic Theatre of Maryland is to produce bold, re-imagined, entertaining and accessible interpretations of classical works, contemporary plays, and musicals with a core commitment to the works of Shakespeare and other major dramatists. CTM is committed to promoting the highest level of artistic excellence, to cultivating the widest possible audience, and to contributing to the economic and cultural growth of our community, state, and region. “-https://lewes.lib.de.us/2021/06/24/spoken-word-society-and-shakespeare-festival/

The list of events and resources available at the Lewes Public Library astounds! Lectures, workshops, author presentations and performances. Children’s programming, book clubs – and even a financial education series. The library’s calendar is almost overwhelming. 

Here, we focus on the Lewes Library’s Performance Series, the Spoken Word Society and Shakespeare Festival. Don’t let the Shakespeare reference fool you – it’s symbolic for the most part, although there are some events that involve Shakespeare readings and performances. As for the spoken word, literary works are performed and discussed, bringing stories to life. 

These events are free, but reservations are required for certain programs, so it’s wise to do a little browsing on the library’s web site to be sure. 

OTHER UPCOMING PERFORMANCES for the remainder of 2021 include the following.

Truman Capote’s “A Thanksgiving Visitor”: Friday, November 19 | 7:00 PM Eastern Time | In-person 

Popular storytelling duo Suzanne Savoy and Jack Herholdt perform a rendition of Capote’s heartwarming coming of age story. Scholars believe this story, and its companion (see below), is as autobiographical as Capote ever was. To pre-read both of these short stories in one book, the library, as well as Browseabout Books carries this gift-worthy book. 

Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory”: Saturday, November 20 | 7:00 PM Eastern Time | In-person 

Back to back performance of Capote’s seasonal favorite that continues to explore his storytelling from the eyes of seven-year-old Buddy. This Christmas story reenactment event will be repeated closer to the holiday on Friday, December 17th at 7 PM. 

Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”: Friday, December 10 | 7:00 PM Eastern Time | In-person 

Don’t miss the chance to see the performance by Gerald Dickens, the great great grandson of Charles Dickens. Captivating audiences all over the world with his talents, and performing in major venues, actor, writer and producer Gerald Dickens will act out a rendition of A Christmas Carol as 30 different characters! 

Make those reservations and don’t miss out on Lewes Library’s unique and exceptional offerings to the public. As you can see, libraries are not just about books!