For most people, college is one of the last times they will have regular access to notable speakers and performers, and rarely are these experiences free once you’re on the outside. Monmouth College offers many of these opportunities throughout the year, and, contrary to popular belief, these events are open to everyone, not just the compulsory attendees and the extra-credit seekers (though they have their place). And while there is plenty of time to be a slack-jawed Neanderthal after college, you can stave off this decline by gorging yourself on all of the cultural candy you can handle while still at Monmouth. You can start with Shakespeare.

According to its website, “The American Shakespeare Center is an internationally acclaimed theatre company that performs Shakespeare’s works under their original staging conditions -- on a simple stage, without elaborate sets, and with the audience sharing the same light as the actors.” The ASC’s traveling theater troupe is based out of the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton Virginia. The Blackfriars have established themselves both nationally and internationally as a premiere Shakespeare company, the Playhouse holds the distinction of “the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s original indoor theatre.”

The Blackfriars will be stopping on the Monmouth campus as part of their 2007-2008 “Piercing Eloquence” tour to perform “Taming of the Shrew” on Tuesday, March 4 at 7 PM in the Kasch Performance Hall of the Dahl Chapel and Auditorium. Earlier that day, the players will host two workshops for courses in the English and Communications and Theater Arts (CATA) departments.

No matter how well you know your Shakespeare, the Blackfriars always put on a dynamic performance, and, more importantly, they make the works of William Shakespeare accessible to a general audience. This will be the Blackfriars third time on the Dahl stage. Since the 2003-2004 school year, they have returned to Monmouth on a cycle of once every other [school] year.

Assistant professor of English Marlo Belschner gave her reasons for inviting the Friars back to Monmouth College, saying, “Professional theater speaks directly to the liberal arts project that is at the heart of Monmouth College, and the workshops and the performance are exciting opportunities for students to be intellectually engaged with artistic, academic topics–and the Black Friars allow us to do this through an impressive and entertaining show.”

The “Taming of the Shrew” was only one option out of a six-play set that the cast travels with each season.

If I haven’t sold you yet, this is also your chance to load up on some sweet Shakespeare swag at the souvenir table.

Tuesday’s performance is free and open to the public, no ticket reservations required. For more information, you can contact Marlo Belschner at mmb@monm.edu.

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