Shakespeare was 47 years old and near the end of his career as a playwright when he wrote The Tempest. Experts agree that this was Shakespeare’s most original play.  While the Bard was a genius, he was also a product of a particular place and time. Shakespeare and his contemporaries routinely borrowed from a host of different sources for story ideas. Many of the plays written during this period were group projects or the work of two people. In this case, scholars believe that Shakespeare conceived the plot of The Tempest  and that the play is his alone. Set on a remote island, governed by a man who uses magic both to enslave and to liberate others. This play provides important clues to Shakespeare’s sense of himself at the zenith of his power, his hopes for a world that would outlast him and his commentary on the pleasure and pain of our most intense relationships.

If you have not seen or read this play in years, our guest, Dr. Jennifer Matisoff of Arcadia University, will bring it fully alive for her audience. This program is free, but advance registration is required. To register, please contact Dick Levinson at: levinsonr@freelibrary.org .