St. Charles library celebrates Shakespeare's plays, sonnets

In celebration of the monthlong "One Book, One Community" event, the St. Charles Public Library, 1 S. Sixth Ave., will present two programs focused on the plays of William Shakespeare.

Guest speaker John Nygro will present "Shakespeare Plays in Station Eleven" at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4, in the Carnegie Community Room. Each of the Shakespeare masterpieces referred to in the novel has much to tell us about life, death, separation and reunion, emotional struggle, and the magic of everyday life.

Nygro is a lecturer, musician, conductor and actor with a career spanning over 30 years. As a lecturer, he has spoken on a number of subjects from theater and opera to classical music to film and television. He continues to teach music courses at the Newberry Library, where he also leads seminars on the works of Shakespeare.

The Shakespeare Project of Chicago will present their original adaptation of Shakespeare's sonnets and songs, "My Name is Will," in a staged reading format at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 7.

"My Name Is Will" is a theatrical adaptation of 35 of Shakespeare's sonnets accompanied by songs from eight of his plays. It is presented by two men and two women and takes the audience on an intricate journey through the many dimensions of the deeply personal and complex relationships underpinning Shakespeare's sonnets.

With an original score by Chris Walz, the non-Baroque music presents these songs in a fresh and newly-imagined context and is the perfect complement to the Bard's poetry and lyrics.

For more information about the "One Book, One Community" reading selection, the 2014 sci-fi novel "Station Eleven" by Canadian author Emily St. John Mandel, or the programming available for all ages, visit the website at www.scpld.org or call (630) 584-0076.