STRATFORD — The Hudson Shakespeare Company will perform the play "King John" in the Stratford Library’s amphitheatre in the rear of the building beginning at 2 p.m. July 19. Patrons should bring a lawn chair or blanket to spread. In case of rain, the play will be presented in the library’s air-conditioned Lovell Room.
Set in the early 12th century, King John, the brother of the late Richard the Lionheart, mounts a force against his nephew the 12-year old Prince Arthur, the rightful heir to the throne. Both John and Arthur are driven by their powerful mothers, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Lady Constance, respectively. Personal and family grudges translate into political alliances and famous battles which are all observed and sarcastically commented on by Richard the Bastard, the illegitimate son of Richard the Lion Hearted. The Bastard, both in personality and birth, serves as the audience guide narrating the fickle political alliances and "glorious" military engagement as they change at the drop of the hat. Comical political grandstanding, convenient public policy changes, dubious military engagements, and behind the scenes tragedies resonate with modern headlines as much as they did in both Shakespeare’s and King John’s day.
Hudson Shakespeare Company was formed in 1992 and tours with outdoor Shakespeare and contemporary plays for schools, library’s and other venues. The company just finished a production of a beach themed "Twelfth Night" last month at the library and will conclude with an all-female "Julius Caesar" on August 23 in Stratford.
For more information, call the Stratford Library Public Relations and Programming Office at (203) 385-4162 or visit www.stratfordlibrary.org.