After spending 35 years as a professional economist, Carl Steidtmann retired to pursue his youthful passions of history and Shakespeare. He has been leading the library's Shakespeare Reading Group since 2019. In April he was asked to join The Groundlings, an international group tasked with the challenge of advising the Royal Shakespeare Company on their future artistic direction. He is also a Plantagenet member of the Richard III Society.

This evening will include a short presentation and discussion, followed by time to hang out in-person with Carl. This is a sneak peek at the group's 2024 play, introducing the play and an overview of the enduring historical slandering of Richard III.

About the Shakespeare Reading Group

The library's Shakespeare Reading Group meets virtually over Zoom for consecutive mid-winter weeks. It's designed for both first-time and experienced Shakespeare readers, with 1.5-hour participatory discussions. The overall emphasis is on enjoyment of a single Shakespeare play each year as the group discusses the play, reads brief excerpts together, studies a theatrical presentation, and learns about the playwright and his world.