Join our exploration of the influence of nature on the arts during the romantic period with Kristen Matulewicz, Curator of Rockwood Park and Museum in Wilmington. Focusing on William Louis Sontag Jr.’s The Misty Rocky Mountains, among others, she will trace the evolution and influence of the Romantic Movement in art as it mutates into the uniquely American style of Hudson River School Painting. And Matulewicz will finish by case-studying Rockwood as a rare example of how the concept and aesthetics of Romanticism was cultivated in daily life.

Kristen Matulewicz, familiar to Spoken Word Society audiences for her work with the library the past several years, has a fun and entertaining style of presenting research with significant depth. She holds a BFA in fine arts specializing in practicing Performance and Installation Arts, a BA in Art History with a focus on Pre-Raphaelitism, and an MA in Art History and Visual Studies, with a specialty in Victorian escapism and immersive environments. Before joining Rockwood as a Curator, she had a 12-year career in Museum Education working across a range of museum sizes and types including history, science, historic houses, and art museums. Kristen’s strong background working with local communities, under-served populations, and practicing artists to create opportunities for accessible learning saw her awarded the Delaware Art Educators Association’s Educator of the Year in the field of Museums.

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Join us as we explore the beginnings of Romantic Music from Handel in the 18th century to Elgar in the 20th. When we think of Romantic music we usually think of the 19th century greats, such as Beethoven, Schumann, Wagner, or Tchaikovsky. As with all the arts, one period grows out of, and blends with, contemporaneous forms. The beginning cannot be pinned down nor the end detected. In fact it is still very much with us. We’ll explore how Beethoven exploded out of the Classical period and how Elgar summed up the Romantic era in the aftermath of The Great War.

Lani Spahr, professional oboist and world renowned audio restoration engineer and producer, is well known to Lewes audiences from his popular program Performance Insights presented through Coastal Concerts. Formerly a leading performer on period oboes in the US, he was a member of Boston Baroque and the Handel & Haydn Society Orchestra of Boston and  appeared with many of North America’s leading period instrument orchestras, including Tafelmusik, Philharmonia Baroque, Tempesta di Mare, and many others. As a modern oboist, he was the principal oboist of the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Opera Festival, the American Chamber Winds, the Maine Chamber Ensemble and made his European solo debut in 1999 playing John McCabe’s Oboe Concerto with the Hitchin Symphony Orchestra in England. Spahr served on the faculties of Colorado College, Phillips Exeter Academy, and the University of New Hampshire Chamber Music Institute. He toured throughout North America, Europe, and the Far East on period and modern oboes and recorded for Telarc, Linn, Koch, Naxos, Vox, Music Masters, L’Oiseau Lyre and Musica Omnia. Accomplished on the bagpipes as well, Lani is the Official Piper of Fort Miles.

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Join local scholar Dr. Michael Redmond for “Storm, Stress, and the Soul: The Romantic Rebellion,” an exploration of how the Romantics figures like Hamann, Wordsworth, and Coleridge rose up against the cool confidence of the Enlightenment’s faith in reason, science, and mastery of nature. Together we’ll trace how nature shifted from whirlwind and mystery, to clockwork machine, to something alive, numinous, and a source of wisdom and wonder—and how this transformation still shapes our views of authenticity, spirituality, and the environment today. Along the way, we’ll meet some fascinating characters, hear vivid literary and philosophical passages, and end by asking a personal question: in your own life, are you more a child of the Enlightenment or of Romanticism—and what might it mean to live well between the two?

Dr. Michael D. Redmond is a distinguished higher education leader and former president of Bergen Community College, bringing four decades of experience in academic leadership, governance, and institutional innovation. He holds a Ph.D. in Theological and Religious Studies from Drew University, and an M.A. in Philosophy from Rutgers, complemented by graduate work in computer science and mathematics. A dedicated teacher and scholar, Dr. Redmond served as Professor of Philosophy and Religion for nearly 40 years and helped build one of the largest and most successful philosophy and religion programs in the nation at a community college. He has published and presented widely, from academic journals to national conferences, on topics both in the philosophy of Religion and political philosophy as well as on technology, and his excellence in teaching and leadership has been honored with the NISOD Excellence Award and two National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar appointments.

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Join us for an evening of the Sublime and the Dramatic as the Spoken Word Society’s Reader’s Theatre Troupe performs poetry and prose from authors and poets working in the Romantic movement. Featuring works by Keats, Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Charlotte Smith, Felicia Hemans, Emily Bronte, and Poe, we will journey through emotional peaks and valleys in a compelling evening of spoken word artistry.

The Spoken Word Society’s Reader’s Theatre Troupe features Jane Okma, Roxanne Farrar, Sally Boswell, Peter Stoehr, Christopher Marks, Michael Redmond, and Rich Harris. This performance is directed by Jane Okma and features musical underscoring and effects by David White.

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Much of science reporting in the United States in 2025 may have been focused on budget cuts, layoffs, and canceled programs, but there were still many striking scientific achievements in laboratories here and around the world. At the end of each year, Science magazine’s editors and writers choose ten scientific developments they consider especially important, including one they single out as the Breakthrough of the Year. Join us online for a discussion with Science’s News Editor, Tim Appenzeller, who will describe the magazine’s picks for 2025 and explain what made those developments particularly noteworthy.

As Science’s News Editor, Tim Appenzeller is in a perfect position to survey the scientific landscape. He directs a global team of writers and editors covering research and the international community of scientists. His previous positions include Chief Magazine Editor at Nature, Executive Editor at National Geographic, and editorial posts at U.S. News and World Report and Scientific American.

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A new Observatory on a mountaintop in Chile began a survey in 2025 that could transform astronomy. The Vera C Rubin Observatory, named for the astronomer who found conclusive evidence for the existence of mysterious dark matter in the universe, uses the largest digital camera ever built to, among other things, reveal anything that changes in the southern sky over time, from asteroids and comets in our solar system to variable stars, supernova explosions, and interstellar objects. The resulting ultra-high-definition time-lapse map of billions of celestial objects could also provide insights into the nature of dark matter and dark energy–the enigmatic force that appears to be driving galaxies apart at an accelerating pace—and perhaps yet-to-be discovered cosmic phenomena. Dr. Sandrine Thomas will discuss the Rubin Observatory’s early results, its history and objectives, and the innovative system built to handle the tidal wave of data it produces every day.

Dr. Thomas is Deputy Director for Construction and Associate Director for the Rubin Observatory Summit Operation.

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Hurricanes are among the most powerful and destructive weather systems on Earth, affecting millions of people each year through high winds, flooding rains, storm surge, and tornadoes. This presentation provides an overview of how hurricanes form, why they intensify, and what makes them so dangerous. We will explore the basic science behind these storms, including the role of warm ocean waters, atmospheric structure, and large-scale weather patterns.

The talk will also examine the primary hazards associated with hurricanes, emphasizing that wind is often not the greatest threat to life and property. Storm surge and inland flooding will be discussed through real-world examples, highlighting why risk can extend far from the coastline and well after landfall. Finally, the presentation will demystify hurricane forecasting—how storms are tracked and predicted, what forecast models can and cannot do, and how uncertainty is communicated. Finally, we will also touch on some newer hurricane tracking models that incorporate AI techniques and contrast this type of weather model with the more traditional ones.

Dan Reilly retired from the National Weather Service in 2024 after a 32-year career with the agency. During his tenure, he worked at forecast offices in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Montana, and Texas, issuing forecasts and warnings for a wide range of hazardous weather events. His experience includes several major tropical cyclones, including Hurricanes Floyd, Isabel, Ike, Harvey, and Beryl. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Virginia in 1988 and a Master’s degree in Meteorology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992. Reilly currently provides weather briefings and consulting services to public and private-sector clients through his company, Reilly Weather, LLC, and publishes a weather blog.

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How did the world as we know it—from the earth beneath our feet to the air we breathe and the life that surrounds us—come to be? Geologists have proposed one set of answers while biologists have proposed another. In his new book, Earth & Life, Andrew Knoll says both perspectives are required to understand how we and our planet became possible: Geological and atmospheric dynamics have sustained life, and life itself has shaped the physical environment. A better understanding of these interactions over Earth’s four billion year history can help us navigate the challenges of the Anthropocene and aid our search for life elsewhere in the universe, he argues.

Andrew H. Knoll is the Fisher Research Professor of Natural History and Earth and Planetary Sciences, Emeritus, at Harvard University. He is the best-selling author of A Brief History of Earth, a recipient of the International Prize for Biology and the Crafoord Prize, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

We invite you to support the author by purchasing a copy of their book from Browseabout Books. Call-in orders are accepted at (302) 226-2665 or you can stop by the store to purchase a copy. For store hours, please visit their website.

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Sleep plays a critical role in maintaining health and cognitive function, yet humans sleep less than any other primate. In his new book, The Sleepless Ape, David Samson explains how this apparent paradox evolved, and why sleep is a critical but often overlooked aspect of human evolution. When our ancestors left the safety of the forest for more dangerous ground, they formed more secure social sleeping arrangements, which resulted in shorter, deeper, and more flexible sleep patterns. Those changes, he argues, not only provided survival advantages but also freed more time for crucial activities such as toolmaking and social interaction. Associated changes in the human brain also led to more restorative sleep, which in turn enabled advanced memory consolidation and fostered creativity—keys to our success as a species. A deeper understanding of our evolutionary sleep heritage, Samson writes, can help us address sleep disorders and improve our overall health and well-being.

David R. Samson is associate professor of evolutionary anthropology at the University of Toronto and the author of Our Tribal Future: How to Channel Our Foundational Human Instincts into a Force for Good. His pioneering research has been featured in National Geographic, Time, and The New York Times and on NPR and the BBC.

We invite you to support the author by purchasing a copy of their book from Browseabout Books. Call-in orders are accepted at (302) 226-2665 or you can stop by the store to purchase a copy. For store hours, please visit their website.

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The Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society welcomes Delaware Shakespeare for 8th Community Tour production.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona follows devoted friends, Proteus and Valentine, whose loyalties are tested when their romantic interests overlap. With a love triangle, a band of outlaws, disguises, clowns, tomfoolery, a dog named Crab, and a revised ending that seals the fate of our anti-hero, this beautifully silly and sometimes poignant play tells the story of friendship, loyalty (or lack thereof), love, and growing up.

Delaware Shakespeare launched its Community Tour in Fall 2016. The productions travel throughout the state bringing thrilling, professional Shakespeare to audiences who may not have easy access to professional arts experiences. Community Tour productions play in non-theatrical settings and the production values are scaled for those spaces, with live music, minimal sets, and whatever lighting is available. The productions are performed with a cast of six actors and a musician.

Celebrating its twenty-third season, Delaware Shakespeare creates year-round professional theatre and educational programs for residents and friends of the State of Delaware. At Del Shakes, people from all walks of life celebrate and explore their shared humanity through the lens of Shakespearean work.

The performance runs 2 hours with a 15-minute intermission.

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The Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society welcomes Teatro de la Luna. It’s a guessing game… What instrument am I playing?

This family friendly program features singing and dancing with Gabo and Mate, and we’ll learn about various musical instruments!

Teatro de la Luna was founded in 1991 as a non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide the Washington capital area – both to its Spanish-speaking community and to its English-speaking community as well – with a source of high-quality theater as seen from a Latin American perspective. Today’s offering is created and performed by Gabriel Lora and Marcela Ferlito.

This event will take place in the library’s outdoor pavilion. In case of inclement weather, the program will be relocated to the large meeting room of the library.

Registration is not required.

Information / Información

The Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society welcomes Delaware Shakespeare.

Celebrating the haunting thrill of the Halloween season, actors and musicians from Delaware Shakespeare bring you an evening of spooky stories and enchanting music. This will be a night of immortal texts with music composed specifically for this program delivered by the region’s finest performing artists. Sophisticated yet appropriate for all audiences.

Celebrating its twenty-third season, Delaware Shakespeare creates year-round professional theatre and educational programs for residents and friends of the State of Delaware. At Del Shakes, people from all walks of life celebrate and explore their shared humanity through the lens of Shakespearean work.

This program is co-hosted by the Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society and Coastal Concerts.

This event is in the Lewes Elementary School auditorium (820 Savannah Road, Lewes, DE). At the Lewes Elementary School, please park on the side of the building facing Beebe Hospital and use entrance 12, by the flag pole.

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Join us in-person in the library or online for a Fireside Chat in association with the Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society.

Perhaps no woman had a greater impact on America in the 20th century than Eleanor Roosevelt. She gave a voice to the most neglected and desperate members of our country, while fighting for equal rights for all. Her influence started in the 1920s and ended only with her death in 1962. Perhaps her most famous and important speech took place during the 1940 Democratic presidential convention, when her husband, President Franklin Roosevelt, was running for an unprecedented third term in office. As the delegates fought amongst themselves, she took the stage and reminded them that “these are no ordinary times.” FDR went on to win a third term. Historian Paul Sparrow hosts the acclaimed actress Suzanne Savoy, in an exploration of the speeches and writings of Eleanor Roosevelt. Her words will be presented in dramatic monologue by Ms. Savoy with political and social context provided by the host.

Suzanne Savoy, a classically trained theatre artist, is also known for film roles and recurring TV appearances on How to Get Away with Murder, Full Circle, The Knick, House of Cards, Better Call Saul, and many others. Her most recent film, All of It, recently won “Best Comedy Feature” at the Marina del Rey Film Festival and has been submitted for the November 2025 Rehoboth Beach International Film Festival.

The Fireside Chat series is organized and moderated by Paul Sparrow, a writer, historical consultant, and the former Director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. Before moving to the FDR Library, he was the Deputy Director and Senior Vice President at the Newseum in Washington, DC. He is the author of the book, Awakening the Spirit of America: FDR’s War of Words With Charles Lindbergh—and the Battle to Save Democracy.

NOTE: this session is available to attend in-person or through Zoom. You MUST REGISTER and indicate which you prefer. If you have need assistance with registration or getting your Zoom invitation, please email the library.

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The Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society presents Suzanne Savoy and Jack Herholdt in a live reading of The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote, published in McCall’s Magazine in 1967. Savoy and Herholdt first performed this piece online for the library in 2020 and are back to kick off the holiday season with this perennial favorite.

Capote’s The Thanksgiving Visitor is an autobiographical tale that follows nine-year-old Buddy as he is bullied by classmate Odd Henderson. Buddy’s aged aunt and best friend, Sook, hatches a plan to help him. The results, played out during the extended family’s Thanksgiving dinner in 1930’s Alabama, are disastrous… or are they?

Suzanne and Jack, both native Delawareans, have made their careers on stage and screen in New York City and LA. Suzanne has played recurring roles on House of Cards, For Life, The Knick, Full Circle, and Better Call Saul, to name a few. Her solo show, Je Christine, tours nationally; her newest solo piece The Book of Poissy premiered as part of Lewes Public Library’s SummerScape 2025 series. Jack performs on many NYC and regional stages and in national touring shows. He appeared in the award-winning video series Celebrity Ghost Stories and in the TV series Lioness. His cabaret show, Falling in Love and Other Ridiculous Ideas, played repeat performances at NYC’s Don’t Tell Mamma and The Duplex. He now flies in yearly from Las Vegas to reprise his role as Buddy, to the delight of the library audiences.

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The Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society presents A Christmas Carol, performed by Gerald Dickens.

Gerald Dickens’ performance of A Christmas Carol has received standing ovations all over the world. Using his own adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas tale, Gerald Dickens plays over 30 characters using vocal and physical talents to bring each scene vividly to life.

Gerald Dickens is an actor, director, and producer, and the great-great-grandson of the author Charles Dickens. In 1993 he created his first one-man show, a theatrical performance of A Christmas Carol inspired by Charles Dickens’ own energetic readings of the 1860s. A fascination with the life and works of Charles led him to write and direct further one-man shows including Mr. Dickens is Coming!, Nicholas Nickleby and Sketches by Boz. Dickens regularly performs in major theatres and arts centres, arts and literary festivals in the UK, as well as at hotels, stately homes, and on cruise ships.

Thank you to Byers’ Choice Ltd. for bringing Gerald Dickens to the United States.

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The 1:00 PM performance is in the large meeting room of the Lewes Public Library.

Register for 1:00 Show

The 7:00 PM performance is in the Lewes Elementary School auditorium (820 Savannah Road, Lewes, DE). At the Lewes Elementary School, please park on the side of the building facing Beebe Hospital and use entrance 12, by the flag pole.

Register for 7:00 Show

Ages before the dawn of modern medicine, wild animals were harnessing the power of nature’s pharmacy to heal themselves. In his new book, Doctors by Nature, Jaap de Roode discusses how an astonishing array of non-human animals—from ants to apes, bees to bears, and cats to caterpillars—use various forms of medicine to treat their own ailments and those of their relatives. Some also use natural toxins to deter parasites from infecting themselves and their offspring. De Roode argues these surprising behaviors, many of which have only recently been discovered, could point to ways that humans can improve agriculture, create healthier lives for our pets, sustain better habitats for wild pollinators, and develop new pharmaceutical drugs.

Jaap de Roode is Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Biology at Emory University. His research includes pioneering studies on self-medication by monarch butterflies.

We invite you to support the author by purchasing a copy of their book from Browseabout Books. Call-in orders are accepted at (302) 226-2665 or you can stop by the store to purchase a copy. For store hours, please visit their website.

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Since Covid-19 swept the world, scientists have been grappling with an urgent issue: How do we prepare for the next pandemic—and at a time when science denial and misinformation are rampant. The question is not if, but when another pandemic will strike. Jon Cohen has spent his career as a science reporter talking to scientists, public health officials, politicians, and physicians on the front lines of combating infectious diseases, monitoring outbreaks, and developing new treatments, vaccines, and preventive measures. His new book, Planning Miracles: How to Prevent Future Pandemics, provides first-hand reporting on those efforts on four continents, and insights on how we might avoid disaster.

Jon Cohen is a longtime correspondent for Science magazine and a widely published magazine writer. He has collaborated on several science documentaries and series, and is the author of four previous books. His work has won awards from leading science academies and journalism organizations.

We invite you to support the author by purchasing a copy of their book from Browseabout Books. Call-in orders are accepted at (302) 226-2665 or you can stop by the store to purchase a copy. For store hours, please visit their website.

Register

Quantum mechanics turns 100 years old in 2025, which offers an opportunity to ask how some of the core ideas of quantum theory were introduced, debated, tested, and ultimately accepted. One of the central ingredients of quantum theory is entanglement, nowadays so important to next-generation technologies like quantum encryption and quantum computing. Yet the history of quantum entanglement has been far from straightforward. This talk will describe how a colorful group of physicists during the 1970s wrestled with entanglement, exploring the idea amid the California counterculture scene. Building on that history, the presenter’s own group recently conducted a new series of experiments, together with Nobel laureate Anton Zeilinger and his team. Their “Cosmic Bell” experiments provided compelling evidence for quantum entanglement while constraining certain alternative models more thoroughly than ever before.

David Kaiser is Germeshausen Professor of the History of Science and Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the author of several award-winning books on the history of modern physics, including How the Hippies Saved Physics: Science, Counterculture, and the Quantum Revival, which received the Davis Prize from the History of Science Society and was named “Book of the Year” by Physics World magazine. His latest book, Quantum Legacies: Dispatches from an Uncertain World, was named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title and honored as among the best books of the year by Physics Today and Physics World magazines. Kaiser directs a research group on early-universe cosmology in MIT’s Center for Theoretical Physics, and has also designed and helped to conduct novel experimental tests of quantum theory. A Fellow of the American Physical Society, Kaiser has received MIT’s highest awards for excellence in teaching. His work has been featured in Science, Nature, the New York Times, and The New Yorker magazine. His group’s efforts to conduct a “Cosmic Bell” test of quantum entanglement, together with Nobel laureate Anton Zeilinger, were featured in the documentary film, Einstein’s Quantum Riddle.

We invite you to support the author by purchasing a copy of their book from Browseabout Books. Call-in orders are accepted at (302) 226-2665 or you can stop by the store to purchase a copy. For store hours, please visit their website.

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There is standing joke among physicists that fusion power is the energy source of the future and always will be. Fifty years ago, the energy crises of the 1970s spurred demand for the technology, and scientists and engineers working in the field were optimistic about the scientific feasibility of generating electricity through fusion. In the 1990s, a device at Princeton University’s Plasma Physics Laboratory, and one in the United Kingdom demonstrated that fusion power could be generated for short periods of time, at least on a laboratory scale. But in the nearly 30 years since then, there has been little progress toward realizing a practical fusion power plant. Nevertheless, several dozen start-up companies in the United States and Europe are now investing more than $8 billion of private funds to try to build a working fusion power plant. Fred Dylla, who spent 15 years working on fusion research, will recount the history of this technology and discuss the prospects for these new investments.

Fred Dylla is co-organizer and co-moderator of the Lewes Public Library’s “Science and Society” lecture series. He has three degrees in physics from MIT. He spent 15 years as a research scientist at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, followed by 16 years as the Chief Technology Officer at the Department of Energy’s Jefferson Lab in Newport News, VA, and finished his formal (paid) career as the Executive Director of the American Institute of Physics in College Park, MD, from 2007-2015. Fred now spends his time creating and teaching the art of woodcut prints as well as writing and lecturing about the history of science and art.

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Wilmington’s Serafin Ensemble brings performances from their summer festival – chamber music performed by nationally renowned classical artists. Beautiful music under the magical summer skies. The program for this evening may be found here.

Serafin Ensemble, “The Serafins,” is a group of internationally acclaimed performing artists (string, wind, brass, piano, and vocalists) devoted to collaborative chamber music performances of repertoire for up to eight players. The ensemble evolved from the former Serafin String Quartet and continues the nearly two-decade-long Serafin legacy of passionate commitment to presenting exceptional performances of small ensemble repertoire.
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In order to let any potential inclement weather clear out, we are delaying the start time of tonight’s concert in the pavilion to 7:30 PM. 
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. 

Wilmington’s Serafin Ensemble brings performances from their summer festival – chamber music performed by nationally renowned classical artists. Beautiful music under the magical summer skies. The program for this evening may be found here.

Serafin Ensemble, “The Serafins,” is a group of internationally acclaimed performing artists (string, wind, brass, piano, and vocalists) devoted to collaborative chamber music performances of repertoire for up to eight players. The ensemble evolved from the former Serafin String Quartet and continues the nearly two-decade-long Serafin legacy of passionate commitment to presenting exceptional performances of small ensemble repertoire.
Register

DUE TO THE PREDICTED HEAT, THIS EVENT WILL BE HELD INDOORS IN THE LARGE MEETING ROOM AT THE LEWES PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Anyone who reserved a seat under the pavilion will be guaranteed a seat in the large meeting room. Any unclaimed seats will be released at 6:50 PM

Wilmington’s Serafin Ensemble brings performances from their summer festival – chamber music performed by nationally renowned classical artists. Beautiful music under the magical summer skies. The program for this evening may be found here.

Serafin Ensemble, “The Serafins,” is a group of internationally acclaimed performing artists (string, wind, brass, piano, and vocalists) devoted to collaborative chamber music performances of repertoire for up to eight players. The ensemble evolved from the former Serafin String Quartet and continues the nearly two-decade-long Serafin legacy of passionate commitment to presenting exceptional performances of small ensemble repertoire.
Register

 

DUE TO WEATHER, THIS EVENT WILL BE HELD INDOORS IN THE LARGE MEETING ROOM AT THE LEWES PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Anyone who reserved a seat under the pavilion will be guaranteed a seat in the large meeting room. Any unclaimed seats will be released at 6:50 PM.

A sneak peek at excerpts from Delaware Shakespeare’s summer festival premiere of a new musical adaptation of Twelfth Night. The region’s premiere professional Shakespeare troupe in an evening of compelling Shakespeare as you’ve never heard it before.

Inspired by Shakespeare’s creative vision and the broad societal mix of audiences of his era, Delaware Shakespeare brings our community together for vibrant theatre and learning experiences. DelShakes envisions a Delaware where people from all walks of life celebrate and explore their shared humanity through the lens of Shakespearean works.
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Linda Harris and David Cole of Maryland’s Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center present an evening of songs, stories, and information about this remarkable woman.

The Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center, located in Cambridge, Maryland, is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the life and legacy of Harriet Tubman. Established in the 1980s by dedicated local volunteers, the museum aims to educate visitors about Tubman’s extraordinary contributions as an Underground Railroad conductor, Civil War spy, nurse, suffragist, and humanitarian.
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Experience Lewes’ history first-hand as Individuals and luminaries from Lewes’ past come to life to share stories and engage you in conversation. The Lewes Historical Society‘s Tavern Talks bring history to life by re-creating the energy of early American tavern culture.

The Lewes Historical Society promotes and advocates the preservation, interpretation, and cultural enrichment of the Lewes region through museum exhibits, educational programs, historical research, and publications.
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They have been called the greatest musical theater writing team of all time. They transformed Broadway and in the process left a legacy of some of the most memorable musicals of the 20th century: Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music, are just some of their collaborations. Paul Sparrow will explore their accomplishments in conversation with Tina Maria Casamento, a well-known Broadway singer and producer. Tina is an expert on the history of Broadway and will sing excerpts of some of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most beloved songs accompanied by the pianist David Libby.

This program is sponsored by The Inn at Canal Square.
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Come hear Dr. Aaron Carlisle, Associate Professor at University of Delaware, School of Marine Science and Policy, talk on everybody’s favorite beach topic – sharks!

The School of Marine Science and Policy (SMSP) is committed to advancing knowledge critical to the understanding, stewardship, and conservation of estuarine, coastal and ocean environments. An internationally-recognized faculty and multidisciplinary curriculum offers SMSP students exciting opportunities in the classroom, lab and beyond.
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An engaging and enlightening evening on Philosophy and its place in a world of Artificial Intelligence.

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“Get your feet wet” with Delaware’s Inland Bays! Join Lisa Swanger, Director of Outreach & Education at the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays, for a fun and interactive presentation exploring the amazing habitats and wildlife that call the Bays home. Discover how this unique ecosystem supports both wildlife and our communities, some of the challenges it faces, and simple ways—even the smallest hands—can help protect this natural treasure. This presentation is perfect for curious kids, nature-loving families, and anyone ready to dive into the wonders of the Inland Bays!

The mission of the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays is to preserve, protect, and restore Delaware’s Inland Bays and their watershed. The Center achieves this through science-based: research, restoration, education, outreach, public policy, and advocacy.
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Alan Jensen of the Lewes Historical Society brings the power of Jack Lewis’ work to life in a compelling talk on Lewes’ most renowned visual artist.

The Lewes Historical Society promotes and advocates the preservation, interpretation, and cultural enrichment of the Lewes region through museum exhibits, educational programs, historical research, and publications.
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The region’s premiere ballet company, First State Ballet, brings its newest piece to our stage. A premiere Lewes happening!

First State Ballet Theatre is a performing arts organization dedicated to the idea that diversity strengthens our community. Their mission is to present ballet boldly to Delaware, enrich our community with live professional performances, inspire and educate dancers and audiences of the future, and connect local youth with a creative, inclusive movement experience.

For this event only, all seating will be on the grass surrounding the pavilion. Please bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. No seating will be available under the pavilion.

NO REGISTRATION IS NECESSARY. In case of inclement weather, this performance will be cancelled.

Be the first to experience this hidden gem of medieval French literature in its English-language world première performance! Light-hearted and modern in tone, Christine de Pizan’s tale written in 1400CE barely veils the poet’s surprising proto-feminism. Christine and her courtier friends take us on a glorious ride through the French countryside and witness first-hand the cloistered life of a self-sufficient community of nuns. Meanwhile, a big spat erupts between a lady and a gentleman over which of them has the most disastrous love-life, stirring up heartbreak and hilarity, and begging the question: Do nuns perhaps have it better than noblewomen after all?

Music performed on lute and images of the remains of the priory of St.-Louis-de Poissy illuminate this staged reading. Bill Burford, a veteran of New York and Texas theatre, directs. Translator/performer Suzanne Savoy, a classically trained theatre artist, is also known for film roles and recurring TV appearances on How to Get Away with Murder, Full Circle, The Knick, House of Cards, Better Call Saul, and many others. Her most recent film, All of It, recently won “Best Comedy Feature” at the Marina del Rey Film Festival and has been submitted for the November 2025 Rehoboth Beach International Film Festival.

For more information, please read the program for this performance.

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World Renowned and local favorites Gerald Dickens and Suzanne Savoy team up to do a staged reading of A Child’s Journey with Dickens. In the late 1860s, a young Kate Douglas Smith, later Kate Douglas Wiggin, the author of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, had a chance encounter on a train with her very favorite author, Charles Dickens. They spent the ride in conversation, and this is the memoir of that event.

After the reading, Gerald and Suzanne will engage the audience in discussion of a life in the arts and on the road.

Gerald Dickens is an actor, director, and producer, and the great-great-grandson of the author Charles Dickens. In 1993 he created his first one-man show, a theatrical performance of A Christmas Carol inspired by Charles Dickens’ own energetic readings of the 1860s. A fascination with the life and works of Charles led him to write and direct further one-man shows including Mr. Dickens is Coming!, Nicholas Nickleby, and Sketches by Boz. Dickens regularly performs in major theatres and arts centres, arts and literary festivals in the UK, as well as at hotels, stately homes, and on cruise ships.

Suzanne Savoy has made a career of performing on TV and in film and onstage in regional theatres, playing Shakespeare’s Desdemona, Emilia, Rosalind, Viola, and many other classical roles. Lately she has been translating the works of Christine de Pizan for performance and publication.
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World famous and local favorite Gerald Dickens presents a one-man performance of his great-great grandfather’s immortal Nicholas Nickleby.

Gerald Dickens is an actor, director, and producer, and the great-great-grandson of the author Charles Dickens. In 1993 he created his first one-man show, a theatrical performance of A Christmas Carol inspired by Charles Dickens’ own energetic readings of the 1860s. A fascination with the life and works of Charles led him to write and direct further one-man shows including Mr. Dickens is Coming!, Nicholas Nickleby, and Sketches by Boz. Dickens regularly performs in major theatres and arts centres, arts and literary festivals in the UK, as well as at hotels, stately homes, and on cruise ships.

Thank you to Byers’ Choice Ltd. for bringing Gerald Dickens to the United States.
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Alfred Russel Wallace, a self-taught scientist from relatively humble origins, became one of the most famed naturalists of the Victorian age. A contemporary of Charles Darwin, he shared in the discovery of natural selection–the key to the concept of evolution–and he made major contributions to natural history, geology, anthropology, climatology, biogeography, and many other fields. An intrepid collector whose expeditions to remote Amazonia and southeast Asia were the stuff of legend, he was also a humanitarian and an advocate for women’s rights and labor reforms—and he was a devotee of spiritualism. Join us for a talk by James T. Costa, whose new book, Radical by Nature: The Revolutionary Life of Alfred Russel Wallace, tells the compelling story of this complex and remarkable scientist who helped shape our understanding of the world we live in.

Dr. Costa is professor of biology and Executive Director of the Highlands Biological Station at Western Carolina University.  He is an evolutionary biologist, entomologist, and Darwin and Wallace scholar who has lectured widely in the United States and Europe.  He is the author of numerous scientific publications, magazine articles, and nine books, including Radical by Nature, Darwin and the Art of Botany, and an annotated edition of Darwin’s masterwork, On the Origin of Species.

We invite you to support the author by purchasing a copy of their book from Browseabout Books by clicking HERE. Call-in orders are accepted at (302) 226-2665 or you can stop by the store to purchase a copy. For store hours, please visit their website.

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The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) started observations two years ago in July 2022. JWST has stunned astronomers with its discoveries and its gorgeous images. We’ve seen one of the first galaxies to turn on, only 290 million years after the Big Bang. We’ve seen a supermassive black hole, already billions of times the mass of the Sun, just 740 million years after the Bang, and we can’t explain how it grew so big so fast. We’ve seen a dust cloud orbiting a new star, presumably with planets inside. We’ve seen binary Jupiter mass objects in the Orion nebula – so planets don’t always form around stars. We’ve still got the the twin mysteries of dark matter and dark energy and we’ve got a new mystery – we have two ways to measure the expansion rate of the universe, and they don’t agree.

Dr. John Mather was Senior Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, leading the science teams from 1995 to 2023. He is now working with teams to conceive hybrid observatories, combining a telescope on the ground with something in space to make it far more powerful. As a postdoc at NASA’s GISS in 1974, he led the proposal efforts for the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE), whose science lead to the establishment cosmology as a precision science. He shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006 with George Smoot.

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In between the shore and the deep sea lies the “pelagic realm”, also known as the “open ocean” – the largest and least known habitat on Earth. This water column is home to many otherworldly creatures, from giant squid to transparent swimming snails. Marine biologist and visual ecologist Dr. Sönke Johnsen, Duke University, will be our guide as he dives into this fascinating but under-discussed world.

Johnsen introduces us to the many strange animals in the pelagic realm, explaining how they handle the challenges presented by their environment. For example: how do they stop themselves from sinking to the bottom of the ocean, despite not having any firm surfaces to stop and rest on? Or how do they deal with the rapidly increasing pressure and the serious lack of light? And, of course, what do they eat, and how do they avoid being eaten? Along the way, Johnsen weaves in personal stories from the field, providing snapshots of what it’s like to be a marine biologist and spend large portions of time on ships in the middle of the ocean, where even the best laid plans are at the mercy of an unruly sea. He compares the way animals survive in the ocean to what humans must do to stay afloat (figuratively and sometimes literally).

Sönke Johnsen is professor of biology at Duke University and author of a new book, Into the Great Wide Ocean: Life in the Least Known Habitat on Earth as well as three other books. Originally trained in mathematics and art, he has studied camouflage, signaling, and non-human visual abilities for the last 34 years with particular interest in vision and camouflage in the open ocean. He primarily works on open-ocean research cruises that using SCUBA and deep-sea submersibles.

We invite you to support the author by purchasing a copy of their book from Browseabout Books by clicking HERE. Call-in orders are accepted at (302) 226-2665 or you can stop by the store to purchase a copy. For store hours, please visit their website.

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Dinosaurs were among the more successful animals in Earth’s history, with some 1500 species stretching over 170 million years. But because they became extinct more than 65 million years ago, our understanding of their behaviors—from feeding and communication to reproduction, sociality, and combat—has been based on limited information from the fossil record. Now, a wealth of new specimens and cutting-edge techniques are shedding new light on how dinosaurs lived and interacted. Dinosaur expert David Hone, author of a new book, Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior: What they Did and How We Know, will guide us through this emerging field of prehistoric animal behavior and discuss recent insights from these studies.

Dr. Hone is Reader in Zoology at Queen Mary University of London. He is the author of more than 100 scientific papers on dinosaur biology and behavior and several books, including a series for children. He has also written for leading publications including National Geographic and The Guardian, appeared on many TV and radio broadcasts, and is the host of the podcast Terrible Lizards.

We invite you to support the author by purchasing a copy of their book from Browseabout Books by clicking HERE. Call-in orders are accepted at (302) 226-2665 or you can stop by the store to purchase a copy. For store hours, please visit their website.

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In celebration of Banned Books Week, the Lewes Public Library welcomes Delaware Shakespeare.

Libraries in every state are facing an unprecedented number of attempts to ban books. The American Library Association (ALA) found challenges of unique titles surged 65% in 2023 compared to 2022 numbers, reaching the highest level ever documented by ALA. Pressure groups in 2023 focused on public libraries in addition to targeting school libraries. The number of titles targeted for censorship at public libraries increased by 92% over the previous year, accounting for about 46% of all book challenges in 2023; school libraries saw an 11% increase over 2022 numbers.

When books are banned, the voices of the author and the characters are silenced and readers are closed off to people, places, and perspectives. By standing up for stories, the power that lies inside every book is unleashed, and the array of voices that need to be heard and the scenes that need to be seen are liberated.

Join us in the library or online for a performance featuring three actors reading moving selections from some of the most popular—and most censored—books in America. They will also bring to life the authors’ own words about the harm in censoring the authors’ and others’ works.

Delaware Shakespeare is based in Wilmington and envisions a Delaware where people from all walks of life celebrate and explore their shared humanity through the lens of Shakespearean works. Inspired by Shakespeare’s creative vision and the broad societal mix of audiences of his era, Delaware Shakespeare brings the community together for vibrant theatre and learning experiences.

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The Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society welcomes Delaware Shakespeare, which will present Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, their 2024 Community Tour offering.

The Winter’s Tale is a unique play dealing with themes of betrayal, forgiveness, and acceptance. Leontes and Hermione are living a fairytale life until a wave of unfounded jealousy tears apart their marriage and treasured friendships. Sixteen years later, can the love of their exiled daughter heal the damage her father brought upon their families? With clowns, shepherds, and the most famous bear in all of theater, The Winter’s Tale weaves an intergenerational story of family and forgiveness.

Delaware Shakespeare launched its Community Tour in Fall 2016. The productions travel throughout the state bringing thrilling, professional Shakespeare to audiences who may not have easy access to professional arts experiences. Community Tour productions play in non-theatrical settings and the production values are scaled for those spaces, with live music, minimal sets, and whatever lighting is available. The productions are performed with a cast of six actors and a musician.

Celebrating its twenty-second season, Delaware Shakespeare creates year-round professional theatre and educational programs for residents and friends of the State of Delaware. At Del Shakes, people from all walks of life celebrate and explore their shared humanity through the lens of Shakespearean work.

The performance runs 2 hours with a 15 minute intermission.

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As part of the Halloween season, Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society presents a lecture by Kristen Matulewicz, Victorian specialist and Curator of Rockwood Park and Museum.

In 1888 Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema painted a scene of mass murder so sensual that its topic is often overlooked. Inspired by a depiction written in the Augustan Histories, Alma-Tadema pairs literature, archeology, and Victorian aesthetics to create a beautiful scene of death that is unlike any of its contemporaries. Deep dive into the changing fashions regarding death in the Victorian period and navigate the Victorian Art Movements through a visual analysis of literature-inspired deaths.

Kristen Matulewicz is a seasoned presenter with over 15 years of public speaking experience who effortlessly guides her audience through the challenging art of visual analysis. Recipient of the Delaware Art Educators Association’s prestigious M.U.S.E Educator of the Year award for 2022, Kristen’s innovative education approaches have garnered widespread acclaim. Her insights have been featured in top media outlets, including the Delaware State News, Delaware News Journal, and on WDDE Radio, WRDE Coast TV, The 302, and Delmarva Life. As a sought-after guest presenter, Kristen is skilled at unraveling the secrets and splendors of the visual world with expertise and charm. She has spoken at public schools, museums, expos, and universities, captivating audiences of all ages with her personable presentations. With her engaging style and boundless enthusiasm, she brings the Victorian era to life like never before.

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The Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society presents Gerald Dickens performing Sikes and Nancy and The Tale of Captain Murderer.

Gerald Dickens’ recreation of Sikes and Nancy is Victorian theatre at its most dramatic. Throughout the 1860s Charles Dickens gave a series of readings from his novels and his repertoire featured performances that involved safe, well-known, and often comic passages from his novels, but in 1869 he introduced Sikes and Nancy to his program. When Dickens performed what he called The Murder he judged the success of the evening by the number of ladies who had fainted with horror. Today it has lost none of its horrific power.

Where did Charles get his love for the macabre? Possibly it was from the lips of his childhood nurse who would regale him with the gruesome tale of The Tale of Captain Murderer. At the age of only 6 years, little Charles delighted in the awful and bloodthirsty tale, and in 2024 Gerald brings the story to life once more.

Gerald Dickens is an actor, director, and producer, and the great-great-grandson of the author Charles Dickens. In 1993 he created his first one-man show, a theatrical performance of A Christmas Carol inspired by Charles Dickens’ own energetic readings of the 1860s. A fascination with the life and works of Charles led him to write and direct further one-man shows including Mr. Dickens is Coming!, Nicholas Nickleby and Sketches by Boz. Dickens regularly performs in major theatres and arts centres, arts and literary festivals in the UK, as well as at hotels, stately homes, and on cruise ships.

Note: these stories are intended for adults due to thematic material and language.

Thank you to Byers’ Choice Ltd. for bringing Gerald Dickens to the United States.

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Register for 7:00 Performance

Celebrating the haunting thrill of the Halloween season, artists from Delaware Shakespeare Artistic Squad and the Delaware Symphony Orchestra team up to bring you an evening of spooky stories and enchanting music. This will be a night of immortal texts and musical masterpieces delivered by the region’s finest performing artists. Sophisticated yet appropriate for all audiences.

Unique to Delaware Shakespeare, the DelShakes Artistic Squad is a creative and organizational component of the company. A rotating, two-term collective, the Artistic Squad brings ever-evolving points of view to the organization and allows more artists to contribute to the long-term growth of DelShakes. Artistic Squad members work as performers, creative artists, and teachers in a wide array of artistic projects throughout the year. This year, the Artistic Squad is Eric Mills and Izzy Sazak.

This program is co-sponsored by the Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society and Coastal Concerts.

NOTE: this event is in the Lewes Elementary School auditorium (820 Savannah Road, Lewes).

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The Lewes Public Library’s Spoken Word Society presents Robert Frost’s work in an engaging evening of reader’s theatre. “I have been” Frost wrote, “one acquainted with the night.” He understood the ordeal as well as the triumph of the human spirit. Robert Frost coupled poetry and power; for he saw poetry as the means of saving power from itself. When power leads men towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.

The reader’s theatre troupe, made up of local talent, is a new component of the LPLSWS program. Join us for a compelling evening of the beauty of Frost’s work in our inaugural performance.

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The Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society presents Suzanne Savoy and Jack Herholdt in a live reading of The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote. Savoy and Herboldt first performed this piece online at the library in 2020 and are here again to share their remarkable gifts of story-telling to kick off the holiday season.

Nine-year-old Buddy has a problem. Every day, he gets stopped on the way to school by Odd Henderson, who calls Buddy a sissy, pins him to the ground and rubs burrs into his head. Miss Sook, Buddy’s older cousin and best friend, invites Odd to her big Thanksgiving dinner, where important lessons await both Odd and Buddy.

The Thanksgiving Visitor was first published in McCall’s Magazine in 1967, and is a companion piece to A Christmas Memory, which will Savoy and Herboldt will perform at the Library on Friday, December 6, 2024.

Suzanne and Jack are familiar presences on the stage in New York City and in television, film, and video. Suzanne appeared regularly in Cinemax’s The Knick and in Better Call Saul (AMC), House of Cards (HBO) and For Life (AMC), and she tours nationally in her one-woman original show Je Christine. Jack was in the award-winning video series Celebrity Ghost Stories and in the television series It’s Quarantine with Vanessa Charbonne. Both Suzanne and Jack hail originally from Delaware.

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The Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society presents Suzanne Savoy and Jack Herholdt in a live reading of A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote. Savoy and Herboldt first performed this piece in-person at the library in 2019. They return this year to share their remarkable gifts of story-telling just in time for the holiday season.

Capote’s mostly autobiographical short story first published in 1965. It takes place in the 1930s and follows the period in the lives of the seven-year-old narrator, Buddy, and an elderly woman, Miss Sook, who is his distant cousin and best friend. The evocative narrative focuses on country life, friendship, and the joy of giving during the Christmas season, and also gently yet poignantly touches on loneliness and loss. It is a companion piece to The Thanksgiving Visitor, which will Savoy and Herboldt will perform at the Library on Saturday, November 30, 2024.

Suzanne and Jack are familiar presences on the stage in New York City and in television, film, and video. Suzanne appeared regularly in Cinemax’s The Knick and in Better Call Saul (AMC), House of Cards (HBO) and For Life (AMC), and she tours nationally in her one-woman original show Je Christine. Jack was in the award-winning video series Celebrity Ghost Stories and in the television series It’s Quarantine with Vanessa Charbonne. Both Suzanne and Jack hail originally from Delaware.

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No Christmas season is complete without Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. From Muppets to classic retellings, this story regularly haunts the silver screen, but what is it about this one Victorian tale that calls to filmmakers for resurrection?  A Disney version of this piece, directed by Robert Zemeckis and featuring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, and Colin Firth opened in 2009. Although the reviews were mixed, an in-depth analysis demonstrates the film’s use of sound, lighting, and mise en scene brings to the fore that A Christmas Carol is a ghost story in the Victorian tradition. In this lecture, we explore the Victorian practice of telling ghost stories at Christmas and reevaluate Disney’s A Christmas Carol as the seasonal horror story it was meant to be.

This lecture includes showing excerpts of the film. The film will be screened in its entirety on Wednesday, December 11 at 5:00 PM.

Kristen Matulewicz is a seasoned presenter with over 15 years of public speaking experience who effortlessly guides her audience through the challenging art of visual analysis. Recipient of the Delaware Art Educators Association’s prestigious M.U.S.E Educator of the Year award for 2022, Kristen’s innovative education approaches have garnered widespread acclaim. Her insights have been featured in top media outlets, including the Delaware State News, Delaware News Journal, and on WDDE Radio, WRDE Coast TV, The 302, and Delmarva Life. As a sought-after guest presenter, Kristen is skilled at unraveling the secrets and splendors of the visual world with expertise and charm. She has spoken at public schools, museums, expos, and universities, captivating audiences of all ages with her personable presentations. With her engaging style and boundless enthusiasm, she brings the Victorian era to life like never before.

Register

In the spirit of the holiday season, the Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society invites one and all to a film screening of Disney’s A Christmas Carol.

This 2009 version by Disney is an animated retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic novel. Though London awaits the joyful arrival of Christmas, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) thinks it’s all humbug, berating his faithful clerk and cheerful nephew for their view. Later, Scrooge encounters the ghost of his late business partner, who warns that three spirits will visit him this night. The ghosts take Scrooge on a journey through his past, present and future in the hope of transforming his bitterness.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, who also wrote the screenplay from the classic tale by Charles Dickens. Starring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, and Colin Firth.
This film is rated PG (for scary Sequences and scary images).

A lecture on this film, “Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it”: Where Victorian Ghost Stories and Film Analysis Meet, is on Monday, December 9 at 5:00 PM.

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The Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society presents A Christmas Carol, performed by Gerald Dickens.

Gerald Dickens’ performance of A Christmas Carol has received standing ovations all over the world. Using his own adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas tale, Gerald Dickens plays over 30 characters using vocal and physical talents to bring each scene vividly to life.

Gerald Dickens is an actor, director, and producer, and the great-great-grandson of the author Charles Dickens. In 1993 he created his first one-man show, a theatrical performance of A Christmas Carol inspired by Charles Dickens’ own energetic readings of the 1860s. A fascination with the life and works of Charles led him to write and direct further one-man shows including Mr. Dickens is Coming!, Nicholas Nickleby and Sketches by Boz. Dickens regularly performs in major theatres and arts centres, arts and literary festivals in the UK, as well as at hotels, stately homes, and on cruise ships.

NOTE: this event is in the Cape Henlopen High School Theatre (1250 Kings Highway, Lewes, DE).

Thank you to Byers’ Choice Ltd. for bringing Gerald Dickens to the United States.

Register