CHESTERTOWN, MD—History will come alive with rebellion, drunken revelry and the complications of monarchy in the American Shakespeare Center’s September 22 production of Henry IV, Part I at Washington College. A special installment of the Sophie Kerr Lecture Series, the raucous event will be held that Sunday at 7 p.m. in Decker Theatre. The doors of Decker will open at 6:30 p.m. for a musical pre-show, and the play runs two hours and ten minutes, with a 15-minute intermission.  The evening is free and open to the public. 

Renowned for its bold, original-practice approach to presenting the Bard’s oeuvre, the American Shakespeare Center is among the foremost Shakespeare companies in the world. Based in Staunton, Va. at a recreation of the original Blackfriars Playhouse in London, it seeks to diminish barriers between performers and audience through a lively and authentic approach to presentation and education. Through lighting choices, music, and interaction with the audience, the ASC encourages attendees to experience Shakespeare’s works as if watching the drama unfold in the early modern period. 

Henry IV, Part I is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. It takes place as King Henry IV deals with his dissolute son, Prince Hal, and a rebellious nobleman named Hotspur. It also introduces the fictional character of Falstaff, the corpulent and vain knight known for his drinking and womanizing.

For more information on this and other literary events at the College, visit http://www.washcoll.edu/departments/english/events.php.

—Kimberly Uslin ‘14