A Cry Against Stage Plays: Shakespeare's Connections to the Mayflower Pt. 1

This program will be hosted online via Zoom. A link will be emailed to all registrants two hours before the program starts at 7 pm.

The Puritans' hatred of stage plays is such a commonplace that few people realize that there were direct connections between Shakespeare and the Pilgrims at Plymouth!

One Mayflower passenger was part of the 1609 Bermuda shipwreck that inspired The Tempest, and another knew Sir Francis Walsingham and Lord Burleigh, two Elizabethan courtiers often suggested as models for Hamlet's Polonius.

"A Cry Against Stage Plays" is a three-session course led by Richard Pickering, Plimoth Patuxet's Deputy Director and Chief Historian. In partnership with guest experts and performers, he will discuss these connections and also depict the colonists' impassioned feelings regarding London play-going by transforming himself during one session into the adventurous Stephen Hopkins (1581-1644 ) and another session the virtuous Elder William Brewster (c. 1567 - 1644). Pickering and his guests will explore competing and changing attitudes to theater in the Jacobean England that the Pilgrims left behind, and they will perform readings from both plays. The final session will focus on theater-related tracts and books in the private libraries of Mayflower passengers.

Course preparation and performed readings will use the Updated Editions of Hamlet and The Tempest from the Folger Shakespeare Library.

Speaker Bio:

Richard is the Deputy Executive Director and Senior
Historian at Plimoth Patuxet Museums. He has been
with the Museum for more than 40 years and has served as a historical role player, research associate, Director of Education and Director of Special Projects. He studied English and American Studies in graduate programs at Bridgewater State University, the College of William and Mary, and the University of Connecticut. Richard oversees the Museum’s ongoing research as well as educational and theatrical programs. He has spoken at the United Nations and Smithsonian National Museum of American History and has appeared on NPR, PBS, History Channel, NECN, NBC News, ABC’s The Chew, and Martha Stewart Living Radio. He also worked on Ric Burns’ film The Pilgrims for American Experience.

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FAQs

How can I contact the organizer with any questions?

Please contact Christina Basler, Director of Guest Services and Group Programs, at (508) 746-1622 ext. 8107 or by emailing [email protected], with any questions or if you would like to purchase tickets over the phone.

How do I access the event on Zoom?

Z oom info will be on the bottom of your ticket. A reminder with the link is also sent 2 hours before the program is set to begin.

What's the cancellation/refund policy?

If you need to cancel or reschedule your event program, please contact Christina Basler, Director of Guest Services and Group Programs, at 508-746-1622, ext. 8107 or via email, [email protected], as soon as possible.

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Host or Publisher Plimoth Patuxet: Commemorating 400 Years 1620-2020