Algonquin Library Celebrates First Folio

Algonquin - February 9, 2016: One of the most iconic documents in history is visiting Illinois as part of a nationwide tour, and it will be on display a mere 18 miles from the Algonquin Area Public Library District (AAPLD). The Lake County Discovery Museum (Wauconda) will host a national traveling exhibit of William Shakespeare’s First Folio, considered one of the world’s most treasured books.

To celebrate, AAPLD has scheduled programs highlighting the Bard and his work.

• Reader’s Theatre: Shakespeare Light
  Wednesday, February 10, 7 to 8pm
  An interactive dramatic reading of Shakespeare’s classic pastoral comedy “As You Like It.” It’s filled with laughs, love, mistaken identities, and much silliness. We’ll start with a brief introduction to the play before beginning our performance. No acting experience is necessary; only willingness to read aloud. Parts will be assigned at random. For children ages 9 years and up: teens and adults are also welcome.
  
  
• Super Simple Sonnet Writing
  Tuesday, February 23, 7 to 8pm
  Discover the unique characteristics of a Shakespearean sonnet , a 14-line structured rhyming poem. Explore contemporary versions of sonnets. Then channel the Bard and create your own! Attendees will be entered into a random drawing for the very entertaining POP SONNETS: Shakespearean Spins on Your Favorite Songs by Erik Didriksen.
  
  
• Why Shakespeare?
  Wednesday, February 24, 7 to 8pm
  Actor and speaker Bill Hammack gives a performance-oriented lecture illustrating the greatness, versatility, and astounding genius of The Bard by performing & dissecting several speeches and monologues. Learn about Shakespeare the man and how his body of work came to us. Attendees will be entered in a drawing for two tickets for Shortened Shakespeare at Shakespeare Theater, Navy Pier.

Click on the program name to register. All programs are open to the community at large (an AAPLD card is not required). You can also register for these programs by visiting www.aapld.org/do or by calling the library at 847-458-6060, extension 143.

“Shakespeare’s First Folio is a cultural treasure that our community deserves to experience,” said Stephen Bero, AAPLD Director. “We are thrilled to spread the word about the Lake County Discovery Museum exhibit and commemorate this unique occasion with our own programs honoring Shakespeare.”

The First Folio will be exhibited from February 3 through 28 during regular hours at the Lake County Discovery Museum, 27277 N. Forest Preserve Road, Wauconda, 847-968-3400. The First Folio comprises 36 plays, including “Macbeth,” “Julius Caesar,” “Twelfth Night,” “The Tempest,” “Antony and Cleopatra,” “The Comedy of Errors” and “As You Like It.”

First Folio! The Book That Gave Us Shakespeare, on tour from the Folger Shakespeare Library, is a national traveling exhibit organized by the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the 400th anniversary in 2016 of Shakespeare’s death. It is produced in association with the American Library Association and the Cincinnati Museum Center.

For more information about AAPLD programs, call the Library at 847-458-3060 or visit www.aapld.org. To learn more about the First Folio exhibit, visit www.lcfpd.org/museum.

The Algonquin Area Public Library District has 23,049 cardholders and serves more than 40,000 residents in a 30-square-mile area including Algonquin and portions of Lake in the Hills, Cary, and Barrington Hills.