Hudson shakespeare Co to perform at Westfield Memorial Library

For press inquiries, please contact:

(June 27, 2016) – On Thursday, July 14, the Westfield Memorial Library will present “Edward III,” and on Thursday, August 11 the library will present “Henry IV.” Both shows are performed at 7:00 p.m. by the Hudson Shakespeare Company. The Library is located at 550 East Broad Street.

Edward III tells the story of King Edward, the grandfather of Richard II, who is a married, middle-aged and very successful king who assumes he has complete mastery over his world....until he meets the Countess of Salisbury, a beguiling, but married woman. The Countess, confident in her own world and marriage, is shaken by the charismatic king as well when war brings them together.

Each fight is a mutual attraction as they struggle with their new-found passions. Meanwhile, Edward's son, Prince Ned, who has never known war, now faces his first challenge on the battlefields in France and gets more than he bargained for.

Richard II's story continues in Henry IV, which follows three figures and their plots: Henry Bolingbroke, now reluctantly having become King Henry IV; his son Hal, who'd rather have no responsibility; and Hal's surrogate father, the drunken but opportunistic criminal, Jack Falstaff.

Henry IV rules a divided kingdom constantly on the brink of civil war headed up by the hotheaded Hotspur and his family. Henry, wracked with guilt over his treatment of Richard II, now wants to lead a quiet life in his later years, but doesn't trust his son to take over. Prince Hal knows he could easily rise to the challenge of being a king, but is too busy drinking. Falstaff, always hustling for an angle, gleefully latches on to the prince so he can be rewarded by Hal who becomes king. The three men all get what they want!

Founded in 1992, the Hudson Shakespeare Company continues to strive toward bringing the classics and contemporary theater to a myriad of locations and venues in New Jersey and the greater Tri-State area. Through their programs, they seek to create innovative and comfortable atmospheres for all personnel, from on stage to back stage, and to provide broad cultural and artistic exposure to audiences.

The plays are free and open to Westfield Memorial Library and MURAL cardholders. (MURAL cardholders belong to libraries that are part of the Middlesex Union Reciprocal Agreement Libraries. Check our website to see if your library participates.) To register for the program, visit the library’s website at www.wmlnj.org, click on the Online Calendar, or call 908.789.4090 option 0.

Founded in 1879, the Westfield Memorial Library—the community’s destination for discovery and ideas—engages minds, entertains spirits and facilitates lifelong learning for people of all ages. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and closed on Sunday for the summer.

For more information call 908.789.4090, visit the library’s website at www.wmlnj.org, and sign up for the monthly e-newsletter “Library Loop,” or stop by the library at 550 East Broad Street for a copy of the award-winning quarterly newsletter “Take Note.”

-end-