Jeff Watkins, the founding Artistic Director of the Atlanta Shakespeare Company (ASC) at the Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse, will investigate the idea that Shakespeare changed his life, and the life of the Atlanta Shakespeare Co. ASC developed an understanding of what Shakespeare's original practices were and how they could revolutionize our production and performance of his works.

In simpler terms, Jeff will ask and answer the question of how his approach to rehearsing and performing Shakespeare has changed over the last 25 years. This Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Atlanta Branch. All ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free, and open to all members and Friends of ESU. 

Ending a Regency marriage could be daunting! The formal processes could be complicated, lengthy, expensive, and very public and embarrassing. Thus, one or both spouses often used other methods. James F. Nagle of the Jane Austen Society of North America will educate and entertain us about Regency Divorce and other methods of the time for ending a marriage. This Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Seattle Branch. All ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free, and open to all members and Friends of ESU.

Potatoes are not Irish, tomatoes are not Italian, tea is not English, or why we play bagpipes at 9/11 Memorials. Between the 15th and 17th centuries, European sailors traversed the globe in search of riches, glory, and new trade routes to East Asia. Historians refer to this period as the Age of Exploration, or the Age of Discovery. During this time, European explorers made daring voyages that changed world history. These discoveries caused ideas, technology, plants, and animals to be exchanged around the world.

The voyages of Christopher Columbus and others may seem like ancient history, but they have resulted in major discoveries that shaped the world we live in today, in ways both big and small. Dr. Robin Sinclair will delve into the food-related results in the Age of European Exploration and will discuss its far-reaching unintended consequences. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Nashville Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free, and open to all members and the public

As James Raven writes, “perhaps we think we know what a book is—it has a cover and a spine and it’s usually printed. It might be illustrated and it’s usually read, although sometimes not all the way through. But over many thousands of years, books have come in many different material forms and have served many different purposes. What, in fact, is a book? In this richly illustrated talk, Professor Raven takes us from the earliest inscribed shells, stones, and clay tablets through to knotted strings, buffalo hides, illuminated manuscripts, printed codices, and the modern digital age. This global journey invites comparisons between materials such as papyrus, silk, bamboo, and plant leaves, and explores different ways of creating texts by writing, painting, imprinting, and digitizing. In review of all this, he asks what will happen to the book in the future and challenges us to think about wider sensory aspects of the reading experience.

From December 1938 until the start of WWII, the Kindertransport operation brought 10,000 Jewish children from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia to Britain. Leaving their parents and homes behind, the children would face many challenges and responsibilities in a new country. This endeavor required the commitment of many individuals, humanitarian organizations, and the British government to ensure the safety and well-being of the children.

Guest speaker, Holly Mandelkern, acclaimed author and lecturer, tells the story of the harrowing journey these children endured before the start of WWII. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Central Florida Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free, and open to all members and the public.

Alan Frederick “Tommy” Lascelles had a remarkable career serving four sovereigns of Great Britain from George V to Queen Elizabeth II in the role of Private Secretary or Assistant Private Secretary. From the death of a monarch, through the abdication of another, World War II, the death of a second monarch and the ascension of a young woman to the throne, Tommy was there closely observing everything. Was he the malevolent martinet as portrayed by Pip Torrens in the Netflix series “The Crown” or was he merely wholly dedicated to preserving the Monarchy by guiding the Monarch?

On April 9, 1963, President Kennedy signed a House Resolution proclaiming Sir Winston Churchill an Honorary Citizen of the United States. This program will examine and explore Churchill's life-long admiration for America and his belief that a "special relationship" between Britain and the United States would benefit both countries and the greater world. We invite ESU members and guests around the world to celebrate National Winston Churchill Day on April 9th with our guest speaker, Timothy Riley, Director and Chief Curator of America’s National Churchill Museum. 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.

Perhaps our best teacher on the nature of power – how it is acquired, exercised, and lost – is none other than William Shakespeare. An incisive observer of human nature, Shakespeare educates us on the qualities that make a successful leader and warns how power can corrupt a leader’s moral compass. Four centuries after his death, Shakespeare’s plays continue to inspire and relate to a 21st-century audience, and we can learn more about our contemporary political leaders through the lens of his characters.