UN-birthday party April 21

Dear Oberon,

We will be back together this Wednesday evening April 21 celebrating Shakspere’s UN-birthday. You will be hearing birthday greetings from Stratford, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, traditional professors and teachers, Stanley Wells and no doubt James Shapiro who undoubtedly will be given another round of interviews and book reviews to celebrate the event.

Of course, not even Shakspere’s birthday is known for sure. It’s a surmise like the rest of his life, counting backward three days from the date of his Baptismal day, one of the few facts about the man known for reasonably sure.

In any event, we will be celebrating with cake and with Robert Duha, managing director of the Michigan Shakespeare Festival, and other guests and regulars. We will be discussing with Robert ways that Oberon can help the Festival. As you know, Robert has asked us to give presentations relating what we do to the plays featured at the Festival this year: Comedy of Errors and Romeo and Juliet.

We will also be treated to Richard Joyrich’s report from the Concordia conference in Portland, characterized this year by many as quite successful. Richard will have lots to report, and we are looking forward to hearing from him as his reports are always entertaining.

I will also be telling everyone about James Shapiro at the Folger on Friday night and my experience doing research at that esteemed library. Lots of wood paneling there and very impressive indeed.

So we are looking forward to seeing you Wednesday. Come celebrate Shakespere’s UN-birthday with us and join us in our usual enjoyable talk about the real Shakespeare who is much more interesting than that other guy.

Happy UN-birthday to all,

Tom Hunter

Your Oberon Chairman

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