Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at 5:00 PM (ET)
The History of Shakespearean Theatre in Hawaii
Did you know that Edwin Booth, brother of John Wilkes Booth (President Lincoln’s assassin), performed Shakespeare plays in the Kingdom of Hawaii in the 1850s? And he wasn’t alone. The Hawaiian Kingdom hosted many actors who came to the fabled islands to perform Shakespeare. Our guest speaker, Professor Mark Lawhorn, will speak on the history of Shakespearean theatre in Hawaii. He put together a detailed display on this topic for the exhibit of Shakespeare’s First Folio at Kapi’olani Community College in 2016. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Hawaii and Seattle Branches.
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 5:00 PM (ET)
Exploring Elizabeth I In Her Own Words
ESU National Board Member Mary Coleman Way in Conversation with Tamara Meneghini on
Elizabeth I: In Her Own Words
A critically acclaimed one-woman play, by Carole Levin, in collaboration with Tamara Meneghini and Sabin Epstein, which combines her own letters and speeches, the poetry of Shakespeare, and music of the period to reveal a complex woman and ruler reflecting on her life and reign. The play, which has performed to sold out shows at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, explores her inner thoughts, fears, loves, and triumphs, from the the Spanish Armada to her relationships with her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots; her mother, Anne Boleyn; and her sister, Mary Tudor. Challenging perceptions of the “Virgin Queen”, Elizabeth I: In Her Own Words tackles the topic of her suitors Robert Dudley and the Earl of Essex. The program will include excerpts from the performance.
Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 6:00 PM (ET)
Adelaide Robineau: Breaking the Porcelain Ceiling
Adelaide Alsop Robineau, (1865-1929) is considered one of America’s preeminent studio potters. She began her ceramics career as a china painter, painting designs on porcelain blanks produced by other craftsmen. After moving to Syracuse with her husband in 1901, Robineau started experimenting with making her own porcelain forms.
She quickly became a master of the medium, known for decorative techniques that included intricate excising and carving away of clay. Robineau developed an innovative approach to glazing her ceramics, experimenting with, and perfecting complex crystalline glazes in greens, blues, ivory, and gold.
In 1910, Adelaide Robineau created The Scarab Vase, a porcelain masterpiece that famously took 1,000 hours of laborious hand-carving to complete. Garth Johnson, the Everson Museum of Art’s Paul Phillips and Sharon Sullivan Curator of Ceramics will explain how Robineau sparked a revolution in ceramics, and why she deserves to be seen as a feminist icon.
This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the Syracuse Branch.
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 4:00 PM (ET)
Churchill’s D-Day
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Western Europe during World War II, launched on June 6, 1944 (D-Day). It was the largest amphibious invasion in history, involving 160,000 troops landing across five Normandy beaches. Winston Churchill, while cautiously supportive, initially held reservations about potential heavy losses but ultimately ensured its success as a key strategic architect.
Allen Packwood, Director of the Churchill Archives Centre, will explore Churchill’s often neglected role in the planning and execution of Operation Overlord. He will use key documents from Churchill’s papers to tell the inside story. ESU members and guests are invited to this Happy Hour which gives an in-depth look at this pivotal moment in history as allied forces opened a “Second Front” in Europe, ultimately liberating France. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the Central Pennsylvania Branch.
Wednesday, March 5, 2026 at 3:00 PM (ET)
ESU Mongolia: How English Was Introduced in an East Asian Country
All ESUs worldwide are connected through the ESU International Council. The President of the ESU International Council is Professor Bolormaa also known as Bella from Mongolia. This ESU Happy Hour is honored to welcome Bella to present the history of how the English language was first introduced into the East Asian country of Mongolia and its impact on the country. While the official language is Mongolian, English is taught as a second language in schools and is spoken by a growing percentage of the population. Bella will also tell us the fascinating story of when and how the ESU Mongolia Branch was launched.
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 4:00 PM (ET)
Jane Austen and You
Last year marked the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. To understand why she is still regarded with such affection by fans the world over, our ESU Happy Hour guest speaker, John King, will discuss her family, her times, where to start (or return to) her works, and how to get the most reward from reading her novels. Whether you read Austen often, or never, you will enjoy engaging with a writer whose novels have delighted men and women in every corner of the globe for over two centuries. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Atlanta Branch.
Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at 5:00 PM (ET)
The American Revolution: A Civil and a World War
Happy Hour guest speaker, Dr. Henry (Phil) Williams III, president of ESU’s Charlottesville, VA Branch, will describe the early beginnings of the war from 1775 through 1783. He will illustrate the eight-year conflict between Great Britain and its thirteen North American colonies beginning with the Battles of Lexington and Concord and ending with the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which formally recognized American independence.
Williams will explain that the true history of the Revolution must not be taught just from an American-centric focus, but also how England, the Commonwealth, and Europe viewed and, in fact, taught this period of history quite differently.
Join us as the ESU launches a journey toward this landmark event as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Charlottesville, VA Branch.