Denver

Annual Holiday Party & Writing Competition Awards Presentation
2024-12-14 13:30 - 15:30 UTC | Denver Woman’s Press Club, 1325 Logan St., Denver, Colorado, 80203
Awards will be presented to the winning students of the 15th AnnualDr. Howard F. Beckley Writing Competition.

Guests will hear the students read their award-winning entries.Refreshments will be provided.

The event is free of charge as a gift to Denver Branch members.

ESU National Shakespeare Writing Program
2024-12-22 00:00 - 23:59 UTC
The ESU invites you and your students to embark on an extraordinary literary journey through the I AM Shakespeare Sonnet Competition. This one-of-a-kind contest challenges students to craft modern Shakespearean sonnets inspired by their own life experiences. Don’t miss this opportunity to bring a new level of excitement and insight into your teaching!

Submission Deadline: Sunday, December 22, 2024

Encourage your students to embrace the Bard’s legacy while sharing their own personal stories in this unique competition.

For more information contact Maryellen Liotta mliotta@esuus.org

Happy Hour: Churchill’s Citadel
2025-01-08 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
Katherine Carter, longstanding curator of the Churchill family’s country home, will present her pivotal new account of Churchill’s activities during the 1930s, highlighting how Chartwell, his rural residence, became the epicenter of his anti-Nazi endeavors. During the 1930s, as Europe edged closer to conflict, Winston Churchill was politically sidelined. However, it was during this period that his home, Chartwell, in Kent, transformed into the command center for his crusade against the rise of Nazi Germany. He convened with esteemed colleagues and sources, such as Albert Einstein and T.E. Lawrence, who bolstered his efforts while he diligently warned of the looming war.

In her newly published book, Churchill’s Citadel: Chartwell and the Gatherings Before the Storm, Carter narrates the compelling tale of these significant yet obscure gatherings at Chartwell. She introduces an intriguing ensemble of individuals—from renowned figures to political heavyweights, envoys to intelligence agents—who influenced Churchill’s insights and tactical approach. Utilizing Chartwell as his stronghold, Churchill collected critical information on Germany’s militaristic advancements, positioning himself to alter history’s trajectory.

This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Charlottesville, VA Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required.

ESU Denver Day at the Denver Art Museum
2025-01-11 13:00 UTC | Denver Art Museum, 100 W 14th Ave Pkwy, Denver, Colorado, 80204, United States
Join the ESU Denver Branch Board of Directors after its meeting on Saturday, January 11, 2025, for a visit to the Denver Art Museum! We have 15 tickets for a docent-led tour of works by British Masters at 1 PM.

PLEASE NOTE: WE WILL NOT TOUR THE EXHIBIT WILD THINGS, THE ART OF MAURICE SENDAK, AS PREVIOUSLY ADVERTISED. COST IS $12.00 PER PERSON, ONE-HALF OF THE TICKET PRICE – YOUR GIFT FROM THE DENVER BRANCH!

We will meet at Pint’s Pub, 221 W 13th Ave, for lunch at 11:30 am before the museum. Lunch will be on your own. To reserve your ticket, call 303-755-1752 or email denver@esuus.org.

John Constable, Yarmouth Pier, about 1820–22. Oil paint on paper mounted on canvas. Gift of the Berger Collection Educational Trust, 2018.25.

The Reservoir at Denver Center for the Performing Arts
2025-01-17 00:00 - 2025-03-09 23:59 UTC
The World Premiere production of The Reservoir, a play by Denver’s own Jake Brasch, is currently at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Singleton Theatre. Jake is a Denver School of the Arts graduate and 2009 ESU Denver Branch Shakespeare Competition winner. After winning the Denver Branch competition, Jake traveled to New York for the National Shakespeare Competition and was named a finalist.

Denver members Michael Thornton and Donna Altieri attended a recent performance of The Reservoir and were able to congratulate Jake after the performance. If you are interested in attending and would like to connect with other members with similar interests, please email denver@esuus.org.

The ReservoirJosh’s life is a mess. He’s come home to Denver from NYU to get his life together but can’t manage to stay sober. Struggling with fogginess, memory loss, shame, and regret, he finds unlikely allies in his four loveable grandparents. Desperate for camaraderie, Josh resolves to bring his grandparents along with him on the road to recovery. He pressures them into playing memory games. He drags them to Jazzercise class at the JCC. He forces them to eat spinach by the handful. Eventually, he slams up against the limits of his quest. When he can no longer help his grandparents, they begin to help him. (from denvercenter.org)

Town Hall Meeting
2025-01-21 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Denver)
ESU members are invited to a Town Hall Meeting

Hosted by Executive Director Karen Karpowich

January 21, 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM MST — SAVE THE DATEFollow-up from AGM and Membership. More information and RSVP: dunger@esuus.org.

Happy Hour: I Stole a Monet for My Client
2025-01-29 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Denver)
This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Sandhills, NC Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required.

Join this fascinating Happy Hour with guest speaker Debra Rhodes Smith who has written a memoir of anecdotes during her 34-year career as a certified arts appraiser and Fine Art Advisor. Many experiences are shared while amassing the art collections for some of the largest corporations and luxury hotels worldwide. In her book, “Tales of Art Beyond the Frame,” Smith describes one of her most interesting assignments involving the acquisition of a Monet for a client and through some quirky circumstances at a Sotheby’s auction, she was able to obtain a million-dollar Monet for well under the valued price. All of Smith’s tales are true, witty, poignant, intelligent, informative, sophisticated, and a fresh perspective of the often-mysterious world of art.

Online Professional Development Workshop for Educators: “The Art of the Sonnet: Teaching Shakespeare’s Poetry for Performance” with Bada’s Eunice Roberts
2025-02-08 11:00 - 12:00 UTC
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8 @ 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM MSTLIVE via Zoom from Oxford, England

Are you a high school educator eager to make Shakespeare’s sonnets more accessible and engaging for your students?

The ESU is excited to invite you to an exclusive professional development workshop, designed for teachers involved in the National Shakespeare Competition, TLab, or any of the ESU’s education programs.

Led by Eunice Roberts—former dean and current course director at the British American Drama Academy (BADA)—this interactive workshop will be broadcast LIVE via Zoom from Oxford, England. Eunice will share her expertise as a classically trained actor and educator, demonstrating how performance techniques can deepen students’ understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare’s poetry. Through the study of two selected sonnets, participants will gain practical tools for using rhythm and language to unlock the rich potential of Shakespeare’s text.

This workshop is ideal for high school English and drama educators, especially those participating in the ESU National Shakespeare Competition. Participants can also earn Professional Development credits through the New York City Department of Education.

Don’t miss this opportunity to bring fresh insights and excitement to your teaching!

Space is limited—register today!

ESU Denver Shakespeare Competition
2025-02-08 17:00 - 19:00 UTC | Randy Weeks Conservatory Theatre, 1101 13th Street, Denver, Colorado, 80204, United States
The ESU Denver Shakespeare Competition will be held in partnership with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts at the Robert & Judi Newman Center for Theatre Education, 1101 13th Street, Denver. The public is invited. Check in and proceed to the Randy Weeks Conservatory Theatre on the third floor. Refreshments provided.

Happy Hour: Why I Started World Elephant Day
2025-02-19 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
Filmmaker and conservationist, Patricia Sims, talks about her journey to create the annual global awareness campaign, World Elephant Day, which she founded in 2012. Through her photography of Asian and African elephants, Patricia portrays her conservation work with elephants, her documentaries about elephants, and her recent trip to Kenya to see how the impact of World Elephant Day has helped numerous conservation organizations protect these animals for more than a decade by creating a global movement to save elephants.

This is a Happy Hour for the whole family. All ages will enjoy learning about Patricia’s quest to save and protect elephants, the largest land mammals on earth. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Kansas City Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required.

About Patricia Sims

Patricia Sims is an award-winning documentary director and producer who has always kept a passionate eye on conservation. As an independent producer, Patricia has directed documentaries around the world focusing on stories that merge art, science, nature, and the interrelationships between humans and animals. She has collaborated with some of the world’s leading conservation celebrities, scientists and explorers, with a specialization in wildlife and oceanographic productions. Well-traveled in over twenty-five countries she has directed documentary features and series for Canadian and international networks, nonprofit organizations and the United Nations University. She is a Fellow International of The Explorers Club and Fellow at the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. As a dedicated conservationist and impact producer, Patricia is the Founder of World Elephant Day, the annual global awareness day and campaign that brings attention to the critical threats facing elephants. Patricia is the Founder and Executive Director of World Elephant Society, the 501(c)(3) public charity for World Elephant Day. Patricia is also the President and Producer of her production company Canazwest Pictures, based in Victoria, BC.

CocktailFrench MartiniCreated in the late ’80’s in New York City, this is a fruit-forward twist on the classic martini.1 ½-ounces vodka½-ounce Chambord3/4 ounces pineapple juiceA dash of lime juiceLemon twist for garnishFill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add vodka, Chambord and pineapple juice. Shake well. Strain into a 4-ounce martini glass and garnish with lemon twist.

ESU Showtime Shindig
2025-02-22 00:00 - 23:59 UTC
If you happen to be in New York City on Saturday, February 22, 2025, ESU is hosting a Showtime Shindig! The ESU Theatre Club will see Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard starring Grammy-nominated singer and Laurence Olivier Award-winning actress Nicole Scherzinger. The group will have a light brunch before the show at the ESU Office at 11:30AM and will attend the show at 2PM (all times Eastern Standard Time).

Hotel accommodations are available at the Shelburne-Sonesta Hotel at a special rate for ESU members.

Use this link for reservations – Shelburne-Sonesta New York

Happy Hour: King George IV: The Worst Ruler in British History?
2025-03-12 16:00 - 17:00 UTC
Sponsored by the ESU Richmond Branch.British historian, Sir Spencer Walpole, described King George IV (1762-1830) as “a bad son, a bad husband, a bad father, a bad subject, a bad monarch, and a bad friend.” The Duke of Wellington was more charitable of the king, “[King George IV] was indeed the most extraordinary compound of talent, wit, buffoonery, obstinacy, and good feeling–in short, a medley of the most opposite qualities–with a great preponderance of good–that I ever saw in any character in my life.” King George IV was known for his manners and charm but also for his drunkenness, spendthrift ways, and scandalous love life. Learn more about King George III’s son, who left the Crown weaker and less popular, but immeasurably richer in architecture, the fine and decorative arts, in this ESU Happy Hour hosted by James C. Kelly, Ph.D., of ESU’s Richmond Branch, who recently retired after a half-century-long curatorial career. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Richmond VA Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required. All Happy Hours take place on Eastern Time.

About Dr. James Kelly

James C. Kelly, a native of Philadelphia, received a Ph.D. in history from Vanderbilt University. He has been, successively, Executive Director of the Tennessee American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, Chief Curator of the Tennessee State Museum, Assistant Director for Museums at the Virginia Historical Society, and until his retirement on July 31, 2024, Chief of Museum Programs Division of the U.S. Army Center of Military History. Among his publications are articles of Anglo-Cherokee relations in the eighteenth century, Bound Away: Virginia and the Westward Movement; The Virginia Landscape: A Cultural History; and Jamestown, Quebec, Santa Fe: Three North American Beginnings. A long-time member of the Richmond Branch of the ESU, he attended the Royal Collection Studies at Windsor Castle, where he was on the memorable 11th of September 2001, and he contributed a chapter on Queen Elizabeth’s formative years for The Queen and the U.S.A., published in conjunction with Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee.

ESU 2025 Founder’s Award Gala Honoring Dr. E. Quinn Peeper
2025-03-15 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Denver) | Winter Park Racquet Club, 2111 Via Tuscany, Winter Park, Florida, United States
The English-Speaking Union Founder’s Award Gala Honoring Dr. E. Quinn Peeper ESU National Chairman His Britannic Majesty’s Honorary Consul to Louisiana Saturday, March 15, 2025 Winter Park Racquet Club Winter Park, Florida

2025 Honoree: Dr. E. Quinn PeeperWe are pleased to announce Dr. E. Quinn Peeper will be honored with the ESU 2025 Founder’s Award. Dr. Peeper’s dedication to the ESU is exemplified by his progression from Local Board Member to New Orleans Branch President, and ultimately to his roles as National Board Member President and National Chair. His steadfast commitment to advancing the ESU’s mission at local and national levels, while cultivating international understanding and goodwill make him an exemplary choice for this honor.

The Founder’s Award: Recognizing ExcellenceEstablished in 1991, the Founder’s Award honors individuals who exemplify the vision of Sir Evelyn Wrench, the ESU’s founder. Recipients are recognized for their outstanding contributions to Anglo-American relations, international friendship, and the promotion of English as a tool for global communication.

Past Founder’s Award Recipients 1991: The Right Honorable Margaret Thatcher, OM, FRS, MP 1995: Hon. J. Sinclair Armstrong, OBE 2009: William R. Miller, CBE, KSt.J. 2015: Hon. Edwina Sandys, MBE & Dr. Paul Beresford-Hill, CBE, KSt.J. 2017: Dr. Andrew Romay & Marie Dora “Doe” Thornburg, OBE 2019: Robert P. Morse (posthumously) 2020: Dr. Laurence Morse, ESU Luard alumnus

For more information: Rossana Ivanova (862) 224-4244, rivanova@esuus.org

Happy Hour: Misadventures in the Wild: An Afternoon of Photos and Film with Kris Millgate
2025-04-02 15:00 - 16:00 UTC
Sponsored by the ESU Sandhills Branch.Kris Millgate is an Emmy-Award winning multimedia journalist, bold storyteller, and certified Idaho Master Naturalist. She is a producer, writer, editor, and author of three books on her adventures. Kris will describe her amazing outdoor experiences from wildfires and water wars to tracking grizzlies and tagging trout. With a quarter-century of multimedia storytelling experience, she traverses the country in search of dynamic outdoor stories. She will talk about her transition from a TV news anchor to an outdoor naturalist and environmentalist through beautiful pictures and short film clips.

Invite your friends and family to this ESU Happy Hour as Kris tells us about her spectacular adventures and misadventures in the wild. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Sandhills Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required.

About Kris Millgate

Kris Millgate is a bold storyteller, but she wasn’t born brave. Millgate, an outdoor journalist born the same year as the Endangered Species Act, grew up painfully shy and afraid of beards.

Millgate graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in broadcast journalism and spent a decade in TV news before starting Tight Line Media in 2006. As producer, writer, videographer, photographer, certified drone pilot, editor and gear hauler, Millgate engages in every project with inspiring enthusiasm and unmatched intensity. In the edit bay, she never tires. In the field, she never stops. She hikes, bikes, rows and flies her cameras into the wilderness to collar grizzlies, catch native trout, and count bald eagles. Kris is an energetic and passionate advocate for nature’s beauty and protection.

Her productions have been broadcast on PBS, toured with film festivals, won national recognition, and put her on stage as an inspiring public speaker who reveals awkward truths. Kris’s honors include Outdoor Writers Association of America first-place awards for fishing, hunting, conservation, and adventure stories. She’s the recipient of The Ted Trueblood Award for exceptional communication from Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. She’s also recognized for outstanding service and wildlife conservation by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. She talks to strangers daily and she hangs out with beards often.

ESU Denver Friday Afternoon Club
2025-04-04 16:30 UTC | Darcy’s Bistro & Pub, 4955 S Ulster St Ste 103, Denver, Colorado, 80237, United States
Save the date: Join the ESU Denver Branch for Friday Afternoon Club/Happy Hour at Darcy’s Bistro & Pub.

Leadership Town Hall
2025-04-15 11:00 - 12:00 UTC
The National Board is requesting your attendance at the Leadership Town Hall on Tuesday, April 15, at 1:00 PM EST via Zoom! During this session, we’ll discuss the development of a clear Branch Code of Conduct based on a recently approved National Board Code of Conduct aimed at fostering an environment of respect, professionalism, and accountability, while ensuring compliance with organizational policies and programs. We’ll also dive into important topics like membership and program planning for the 2025-2026 year. Most importantly, as we move beyond the 6-month point in the evolution of new Membership procedures, we will be reviewing where we are now and giving you an update on our selection for a new CRM (Constituency Relationship Module).

This meeting is an essential opportunity to gain insights into the exciting changes the ESU is undergoing and to understand where we’re headed in the future. Your participation is key to being part of this transformative journey. We look forward to seeing you there!

Please click on the link below to read the Branch Code of Conduct and bring your thoughts and questions to the meeting.

Happy Hour: Why I Like Mark Twain with Susan K. Harris
2025-04-23 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
Sponsored by the ESU Indianapolis Branch.

Mark Twain (1835-1919) was an American humorist, journalist, lecturer, and novelist who gained international fame for his travel narratives and for his adventure stories of boyhood, especially The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He is considered one of America’s best and most beloved writers. Susan K. Harris is a Mark Twain scholar as well as a scholar of American women’s writings. She has published four books on the author. Susan’s talk will focus on Twain’s innovative language, his double-edged humor, his political courage, and his struggle to find certainty in an uncertain world. She will explore the debate over teaching Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—how its offensive language works, and why it matters.

Susan investigates aspects of Mark Twain’s fascinating life most people never knew. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Indianapolis Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required.

About Susan K. Harris

Susan K. Harris served twelve happy years as the Joyce and Elizabeth Hall Distinguished Professor of American Literature at the University of Kansas. She received a B.A. from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, an M.A. from Stanford University, an M.A. from Cornell University, and a Ph.D. from Cornell University. She has published four books on Mark Twain and edited both a Riverside edition of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Library of America’s volume Mark Twain: Historical Romances. She served on numerous advisory boards and university-level committees at Penn State and KU, and for national institutions such as NEH. Most recently, she served as President of the Mark Twain Circle of America (2020-2022) and received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Society for the Study of American Women Writers.

2025 ESU National Shakespeare Competition in New York City!
2025-04-26 00:00 - 2025-04-28 23:59 UTC
Mark your calendars! From Saturday, April 26 to Monday, April 28, 2025, NSC Branch Champions from across the country will gather in New York City for an unforgettable weekend of inspiration, learning, and performance. The weekend will culminate with the Final Competition at Juilliard’s Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center.Here’s what’s in store for our talented Branch Champions:A welcome brunch to kick off the weekendAn exciting NYC sightseeing tourActing workshops with industry professionalsA top Broadway showWe are thrilled to bring together such extraordinary young performers from across the country. Let the countdown begin—we can’t wait to see you shine on stage!

Happy Hour: A Chip Off Queen Victoria’s Block
2025-05-14 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
Sponsored by the ESU Charleston Branch.Queen Victoria (1819-1901) is one of the best loved monarchs. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days, which was longer than those of any of her predecessors, constituted the Victorian era. The British Empire reached its peak during her rule. Almost within touching distance of our own time, her story is so familiar to us it seems unlikely that there is much new to discover. This ESU Happy Hour will uncover amazing and little-known aspects of Victoria’s family. Victoria`s mother, the Duchess of Kent, had already been married and widowed before her wedding to a son of George III. From her first husband, she had a daughter, Feodora, who came to live in London when her mother remarried. At Kensington Palace she married the Prince of Hohenloe Langenberg. Their son, and Queen Victoria`s nephew, was Prince Victor Gleichen. After distinguished service in the British Navy, Prince Victor took up a career as a sculptor, working from his apartments in St James` Palace. Quickly becoming the Victorian sculptor of choice, his work is found in collections throughout Britain, and especially in the Royal Collection. Two of his children followed in their father’s footsteps. One daughter, Feodora, became an even more successful sculptor, exhibiting at the Royal Academy on more than a dozen occasions. Helena, an early suffragist who served on the Western Front during WWI, was an accomplished artist. Our guest speaker, John Vigar, takes a close look at Prince Victor and tells the remarkable story of the Gleichen family of sculptors. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Charleston Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required.

About John Vigar, MA FSA Scot FRSAJohn Vigar has been described as one of the most popular commentators on English history. He lectured for the University of Kent from 1992 to 2010, teaching a variety of architectural and social history studies, and has worked on a sessional basis for many other academic institutions. He has been a regular tutor at Denman College for over 35 years and is now part of their Denman at Home program. An enthusiastic and popular approach to his subject ensures that he has a large following of regular students. In addition to his contracted lectures John is a popular speaker at meetings of many groups including The Arts Society (NADFAS), the National Trust, and historical societies country-wide. His lecture tours to public libraries and colleges in Germany where he speaks on English literature and its links with topographical history are well received. John proudly states, “I’m keen to bring [my lectures] to life through a series of amusing and accessible presentations, and after one of my lectures you`ll never see history as a dull and dry subject again!”

Happy Hour: Kansas City: Home of Disney’s Original Animation Studio
2025-06-04 16:00 - 17:00 UTC
Walter Elias Disney (1901-1966) was born in Chicago, IL. The Disney family moved to Kansas City in 1911 where nine-year old Walt delivered newspapers with his brother, Roy. Six years later, Walt attended classes at the Kansas City Art Institute. Founded in 1885, the Kansas City Art Institute is one of the oldest and most respected art and design colleges in the U.S. In 1918, during World War I, Walt served in France with the Red Cross.

In May, 1922, Disney founded his first professional film studio in Kansas City, Missouri. He named it Laugh-O-gram Films. He rented an office suite on the second floor of the then-new building on 1127 E. 31st Street in Kansas City, a building designed by noted Kansas City architect Nelle Peters. Walt and his young crew made inventive cartoons, including several loosely based on classic fairy tales such as Cinderella and his first Alice comedy, Alice’s Wonderland.

Despite the short life of Laugh-O-gram Films, it was the foundation of Walt Disney’s remarkable career and of The Walt Disney Company of today. Laugh-O-Gram was “the cradle of Hollywood animation.” Although animation has been produced for nearly 20 years on the east coast, Walt Disney and the Kansas City animators who followed him to Hollywood were the first to produce animation there.

The Laugh-O-gram Films office is where Disney first met and befriended a real-life mouse scampering on the office floor. Before Walt moved to Los Angeles, he made a point of taking his mouse companion into the countryside so he would not fall victim to the cats which lived in the restaurant on the first floor of the Laugh-O-gram building. It is said by some that this provided Disney with the inspiration for his most well-known creation: Mickey Mouse.

Decades have passed since Disney moved to Los Angeles in 1923. The old building on 31st Street in Kansas City fell into decay. Then, when the building was facing demolition, local real estate developer, Butch Rigby, joined with Columbia, Missouri, attorney Dan Viets and others to form a non-profit corporation, Thank You Walt Disney, Inc. Through years of perseverance and fundraising efforts, the old “Laugh-O-gram” building on 31st Street is now undergoing a massive, multi-million-dollar renovation dedicated to the legacy of Walt Disney.

Our guest speaker for this ESU Happy Hour is Dan Viets, President of Thank You Walt Disney, Inc. With photos and other images, Dan will share his vast knowledge of Walt Disney, the history of the Laugh-O-gram building and describe the services and activities planned for the building. The ESU Kansas City Branch sponsors this ESU Happy Hour. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required.

Dan Viets is President of Thank You Walt Disney, Inc. He joined Thank You Walt Disney shortly after it was formed in the mid-1990s. He has served on the TYWD Board for more than 25 years.Dan is co-author of the book, Walt Disney’s Missouri: The Roots of a Creative Genius, published by The Kansas City Star. He has also authored articles about Walt Disney’s Missouri history published by the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Truman State University, the Missouri Historical Society, the Jackson County Historical Society, and others.

Dan has lectured for many years about Walt Disney’s Missouri history on behalf of the Missouri Humanities Council/State Historical Society of Missouri. He has made presentations at the Walt Disney Boyhood Hometown Museum in Marceline, Missouri, the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, as well as to Disney employees at Disneyland in California, Walt Disney World in Florida, Walt Disney/Pixar Animators, and at the national convention of Disneyana Fan Club in Anaheim, California. Dan has a degree in Philosophy and Psychology and a Juris Doctorate in Law from the University of Missouri at Columbia.

Cocktail:Scotch Mist was Walt’s favorite drink for a reason. It’s complex yet refreshing, the perfect cocktail to sip slowly on the patio at the end of a warm day. 2 ounces of Scotch whiskey1 ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice1/2 ounce of simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, dissolved)Soda waterCrushed iceLemon twist

ESU Denver Branch King's Birthday Tea
2025-06-07 15:00 UTC | Babe’s Tea Room, 2401 15th Street, Denver, Colorado, 80202, United States
Join us for tea including an assortment of savory tea sandwiches, miniature scones served with jam, homemade lemon curd and Devonshire Cream, Scottish shortbread, homemade petit fours, and French macarons.

The Denver Branch is pleased to offer this event at a reduced price of

$25/per person

Prosecco, Mimosa, Bellini and other beverages available at additional cost. Payment by check in advance (send to ESU Denver, 5930 S Cimarron Way, Littleton CO 80123) or by cash at the event.

Reservation deadline is May 31, 2025.

Call 303-755-1752 or email denver@esuus.org with any questions.

New York City Week, ARNIC Graduation & Showtime Shindig
2025-06-10 00:00 - 2025-06-13 23:59 UTC
Join us for New York City Week, a dynamic celebration of culture, history, and community in partnership with the ESU’s Andrew Romay Center for New Immigrants (ARNIC). This exciting lineup of events includes, the Big Onion Walking Tour, an Immigrant Programs Luncheon, the ARNIC Graduation, and Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical.

June 11, 2025 – Immigrant Programs Luncheon – A special gathering to celebrate and support programs that empower and uplift immigrant communities.June 12, 2025 – Big Onion Walking Tour & ARNIC Graduation – Discover the fascinating immigrant history of New York City on this expert-led walking tour, followed by the ARNIC Graduation Ceremony, honoring the newest graduates of the Andrew Romay New Immigrant Center (ARNIC). The ceremony, held at the ESU national headquarters, celebrates the resilience, hard work, and success of our inspiring new immigrant students.June 13, 2025 – Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical – Experience this critically acclaimed, darkly comedic musical that tells the incredible true story of one of WWII’s most daring espionage operations.As part of the festivities, don’t miss our Showtime Shindig, a dazzling evening of entertainment and connection.

Only 20 spots available! Tickets for New York City Week events are available for individual purchase or as part of a package—customize your experience and celebrate the best of New York your way!Reserve your spot today!

The End of WW II 80 Years On: A Conversation with Leading Historians
2025-06-10 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
All ESU members and Friends of ESU are invited to a free online conversation with leading historians to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. This special event features renowned experts who will share unique insights and reflections on one of history’s most consequential global conflicts and its enduring impact.

The distinguished panelists are General the Lord Dannatt, Member of the House of Lords and former Chief of the General Staff, and Allen Packwood OBE, Director of the Churchill Archives Center at Cambridge University, Cambridge, England.

Following the success of their collaborative work, Churchill’s D-Day: The Inside Story, the panelists will explore the final chapters of the war, its aftermath, and the contemporary relevance of this pivotal moment in world history marking eight decades since the war’s conclusion.

While this online program is not part of our ESU Happy Hour programs, we occasionally find extraordinary online programs of interest to ESU members and guests. This program is hosted by the National Churchill Leadership Center and moderated by acclaimed author and historian Katherine Grace Katz. This will be a thought-provoking discussion you won’t want to miss.

When: Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 2:00 pm MDT

Tickets: Free to attend but registration is required to receive webinar link.

About the Panelists:

General The Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC DL

Richard Dannatt served as a soldier for forty years, concluding his career as Chief of the General Staff—the professional head of the British Army. In 2011, he became an independent member of the House of Lords. He is a frequent commentator on defense and security issues in the media. He divides his time between London and his family home in Norfolk. He is a Deputy Lieutenant for both Greater London and Norfolk.

Allen Packwood OBE

As Director of the Churchill Archives Centre since 2002, Allen has dedicated his career to preserving and illuminating history. A qualified archivist and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he oversees one of the world’s most significant collections of modern political, diplomatic, and scientific papers, including those of Sir Winston Churchill and Baroness Thatcher. His expertise has taken him from curating exhibitions at the Library of Congress to organizing international conferences on the Cold War, and from Bermuda to Hong Kong, sharing Churchill’s life story and legacy. Last year saw the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the 150th anniversary of Churchill’s birth, and Allen and Richard’s book has brought fresh insights to this pivotal moment in history.

Town Hall Meeting
2025-06-17 13:30 - 15:00 UTC
Join us for an engaging Leadership Town Hall where we’ll share important updates on membership initiatives, CRM enhancements, and improvements to our website. You’ll also get a chance to view inspiring highlight videos from the 2025 Founder’s Award Gala and the National Shakespeare Competition. Don’t miss this opportunity to stay informed and connected.

This is designed to foster open dialogue and collaboration between our local branch members and national staff. We will focus on important updates regarding membership and our website, promoting transparency and alignment across all branches.

Mark your calendars and be part of the conversation that will help shape our shared future. We can’t wait to see you there!

More information and RSVP: dunger@esuus.org.

ESU 2025 Patron Tour: Nelson on Shore and at Sea: A Life of the British Admiral
2025-07-06 00:00 - 2025-07-14 23:59 (America/Denver)
The English-Speaking Union In Partnership with Sea Cloud Cruises Presents2025 National Patron Tour Nelson on Shore and at Sea: A Life of the British AdmiralWith Author and Lecturer Flora FraserJuly 6-14, 2025Naples to MaltaSet sail on an extraordinary journey through history aboard the magnificent Sea Cloud Spirit, retracing the footsteps of one of Britain’s greatest naval heroes, Admiral Horatio Nelson. This exclusive voyage, co-hosted by the English-Speaking Union and Sea Cloud Cruises, offers a unique blend of luxury, adventure, and intellectual stimulation.By day, explore picturesque ports and historic sites central to Nelson’s career and private life. By night, dine under the stars and engage in stimulating conversation with fellow history and adventure enthusiasts.Tour Highlights•Sail from Naples to Malta on board Sea Cloud Spirit, ranked among the best luxury passenger ships in the world.•This three-mast windjammer’s 28 sails are hoisted by hand for authentic sailing experience.• Enjoy lectures by renowned biographer Flora Fraser• Visit key locations in Nelson’s Mediterranean campaigns• Visit the ports of Naples, Capri, Trapani, Palermo, Naxos, Syracuse, and Valletta, Malta• Experience the thrill of sailing on a tall ship in Nelson’s wake• Indulge in luxurious accommodations and gourmet cuisineAbout ESU Patron ToursThe ESU National Patron Tours enhance our Patrons’ engagement with the ESU community through bespoke experiences of cultural enrichment, educational exploration, and unforgettable adventures.

For more information about the tour and how to sign up please contact Rossana Ivanova at rivanova@esuus.org, (862) 224-4244.

ESU Denver Branch Annual Meeting and Brunch
2025-07-12 10:30 UTC | Denver Country Club, 1700 East First Avenue, Denver, Colorado, 80218, United States
Join us for the English-Speaking Union Denver Branch Annual Meeting and Brunch

Saturday, July 12, 2025, at 10:30am MDT

Denver Country Club1700 E 1st Avenue(intersection of Gilpin and 1st Avenue)

$30 per person brunch buffet

Wine, Champagne and Bloody Mary cash bar (cash only, no credit cards)

The meeting will review the 2024-2025 ESU Denver Branch program year with reports from Branch Officers and Committee Chairs, and we will elect a slate of new and returning Board Members.

ESU at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival: Richard II
2025-08-03 13:30 UTC
“Not all the water in the rough rude sea Can wash the balm off from an anointed king.”

When corrupt, despotic King Richard II ventures off to wage war, the banished Bolingbroke invades to reclaim his stolen inheritance. Embraced by an angry populace and co-opted by self-righteous, greedy nobles, he takes the throne and sets the stage for 32 years of civil war. The first chapter of Shakespeare’s four-part “game of thrones” examines issues critical to contemporary politics, from the embrace of autocracy, the power of wealth, and whether a nation divided can stand.

Join the ESU Denver Branch members for an afternoon of Shakespeare in the comfortable indoor Roe Green Theatre on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder. We will have a block of 12 tickets, so send an email to the Denver Branch to reserve your ticket: denver@esuus.org.

Happy Hour: The Battle of Britain
2025-08-20 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
June, 1940—In the past two months, Nazi Germany has conquered Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. Great Britain stands alone against the formidable German war machine. Now, Germany decides to bring Britain to its knees. In order to do that, Goering’s Luftwaffe must win air superiority over the English Channel and Southeast England. The Battle of Britain is about to begin. It is up to the outnumbered British Royal Air Force — ” The Few” —to stop the Germans.

Please join Seattle’s Museum of Flight volunteer Bob Fishman for an in-depth look at a turning point in history—how the RAF defeated the Luftwaffe and saved Britain and perhaps the world from Nazi domination—the aircraft, the strategy, and the tactics including the first use of radar & ground control to manage an air battle. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Seattle Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free to attend, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required to receive the webinar link.

About Bob Fishman

Bob Fishman has been a member of Seattle’s Museum of Flight and twelve years ago, as a volunteer, began giving tours of the Crew Compartment of the Full Fuselage Trainer. He also trained other volunteers. Bob has been an active member of the Museum Speakers’ Bureau, giving talks on World War II, aviation, and space history.

He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and subsequently earned Master’s and Doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering. After eight years on active duty as a Naval officer, he had a 40-year career in the electric power generation business as an engineer, project manager, and executive. In 2023, Bob returned to the U.S. Naval Academy as a Distinguished Visiting Professor in Engineering where he is teaching the next generation of Navy and Marine Corps leaders.

Bob attended the National Test Pilot School in Mojave, CA and is an instrument-rated private pilot with over 3,200 hours in fifteen different aircraft models.

Cocktail:Bob’s Favorite spirit:Glenlivet 12-year-old single malt, served neat.Drinking whiskey “neat” means that it’s served at room temperature and without any mixers or anything that would dilute the serving, like ice or water.In 1824, a businessman named George Smith applied for one of the first licenses in the Speyside region of Scotland and opened the doors to The Glenlivet Distillery. Glenlivet, translated from Gaelic, means “valley of the smooth flowing one” and is most likely referencing the nearby River Livet.

Happy Hour: J.R.R. Tolkien: Myth & Modernism
2025-09-10 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
J.R.R. Tolkien was a towering figure in the world of twentieth-century English letters. His labors on Beowulf continue to shape the literary landscape, his work on the Oxford English Dictionary still serves, and his groundbreaking thoughts about the role and purpose of fairy stories gave focus to the thoughts of C.S. Lewis and other Inklings. The Rev’d. Andrew Lazo returns to speak to the ESU about Tolkien’s approach to myth and language in his own period—an approach that still speaks call on our age as well.

This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Central Florida Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free to attend, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required to receive the webinar link.

About Andrew Lazo

The Rev. Andrew Lazo is an internationally-known speaker and writer specializing in C.S. Lewis and the Inklings. Andrew earned his Master’s in Modern British Literature from Rice University where he was a Jacob K. Javits fellow in the Humanities. He is a frequent speaker around the U.S. and U.K. and has authored several articles on C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. In 2009, Andrew published Mere Christians: Inspiring Encounters with C.S. Lewis. In 2014 he also was honored to transcribe, edit, and publish a previously unknown book by C.S. Lewis, “Early Prose Joy,” which was Lewis’s very first spiritual autobiography. For ten years he taught English and C. S. Lewis at St. Thomas and Houston Christian High Schools in Houston.After finishing studies for an M. Div. (with Honors) at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, VA in May 2022, Andrew was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church in January 2023 and serves as the Apprentice Rector at Church of the Messiah in Winter Garden, FL. He is also pursuing his doctorate in Romantic Theology at Northwind Seminary, where he serves as a Distinguished Lecturer. Andrew is married to author and speaker Dr. Christin Ditchfield Lazo.For more than fifteen years, Andrew has been working on a long-awaited study of Till We Have Faces, making groundbreaking discoveries all along the way. The results of his ongoing research have led him to give talks to the Mythopoeic Society in 2016 as Scholar Guest of Honor; in the summer of 2017, Andrew served as a plenary speaker at the C.S. Lewis Foundation’s 2017 Summer Institute in Oxford and Cambridge. The talks in the Myth of Love series will be published as chapters of his forthcoming book.

“Teenage Shakespeare” – PD Workshop with Catherine Loomis
2025-09-20 10:00 - 11:00 UTC
With wit, insight, and passion, Professor Loomis brings Shakespeare to life in ways that are both entertaining and inspiring. In this one-hour Zoom session, she will share strategies for engaging your students and providing rich historical context through her presentation, “Teenage Shakespeare.” This session will explore what life was like for teenagers in Shakespeare’s time, as well as what the Bard himself experienced during his formative years.
