Much Ado About Nothing (1598–99) remains one of Shakespeare’s most beloved and frequently performed comedies, featuring such memorable characters as the witty, bickering Benedick and Beatrice and the more straightforward Hero and Claudio. Literature professor Joseph Luzzi explores Shakespeare’s lyrical language, narrative techniques, and representations of love, honor, and marriage, among other key themes. Luzzi also discusses how this riveting comedy fits into the broader arc of Shakespeare’s career as a playwright.
Seventeenth-century Europe faced war, rebellion, plague, famine, and natural disasters, all unfolding during the Little Ice Age, a long period of colder temperatures whose influence on global crises remains debated. Historian Ariel Hessayon of the University of London examines evidence from ice cores, pollen, tree rings, stalactites, manuscripts, and art to show how climate affected Northern Europe and looks at the ways in which people living at that time adapted.
The Nazis didn’t steal just art, says author and prosecutor Adena J. Bernstein: They also stole identity, history, and memory. Decades later, thousands of those artworks hang in museums and private collections not because their histories are unknown but because laws permit institutions and third parties to retain them. Drawing on research covering 13 nations, Bernstein describes how coerced sales were later treated as legitimate transactions and how survivors and their families have been asked to meet heavy evidentiary burdens.
Nearly intact, and as vibrant today as it was when new, the Bayeux Tapestry was produced in the immediate aftermath of the Norman Conquest of 1066, when the fates of the kingdoms of England and France were altered ever after. Historian Samuel Collins explores the agenda and arguments laid out on the tapestry and what the latest scholarship reveals about the strategies its makers employed for rendering a pointed account of the months leading up to the Battle of Hastings. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Gary J. Walters, the longest-serving chief usher in White House history, reflects on extraordinary moments from his 37 years of service, working closely with each first family from Presidents Nixon through George W. Bush. Drawing from his book White House Memories 1970–2007, he offers rare behind-the-scenes insight into major events, including Watergate and Nixon’s final day, Queen Elizabeth II’s Bicentennial visit, the first papal visit, Election Day tensions, presidential transitions, and a detailed account of the White House on September 11, 2001.
Step beyond the monuments and virtually explore one of D.C.’s most dynamic neighborhoods with Carolyn Muraskin, founder of DC Design Tours. Journey east of the Anacostia River through a rich visual narrative of historic homes, cultural landmarks, and powerful stories that reveal a neighborhood defined by resilience and reinvention. Trace Anacostia’s evolution from its early roots through its transformation into a center of Black culture, activism, and civic life. Along the way, encounter preserved 19th-century rowhouses, ambitious preservation efforts, and a thriving arts scene that continues to shape the neighborhood today.
In a fascinating four-part series, curators and historians from the National Air and Space Museum trace the history of flight, from humanity’s early aspirations for aerial transit, to 12 breathtaking seconds at Kitty Hawk, to the advances that came with global combat, and how jet engines and digital technology are opening a new future for aviation. This session focuses on flight developments up to and including World War I.
The music of Gustav Mahler, some of the most powerful and emotive of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, speaks deeply to the heart and soul of many people. In a two-part series, Baroque flutist and music professor at Carnegie Mellon Stephen Schultz traces the stylistic evolution of his first creative period and illuminates the main characteristics of his music, highlighting the programmatic, spiritual, and emotional content of his early symphonies.
Art historian Nancy G. Heller presents a richly illustrated lecture on groundbreaking women artists who have earned major awards, MacArthur “genius” grants, and international recognition. She highlights Simone Leigh’s monumental sculptures of Black women, Julie Mehretu’s layered political abstractions, Wendy Red Star’s witty explorations of Indigenous identity, Cristina Iglesias’s immersive underwater installations, and Amy Sherald’s revitalized portraiture—all showcasing the global breadth and innovation of contemporary women artists. (World Art History Certificate elective, ½ credit)
The range of emotions evoked by the sound of ringing reflects a deep connection with the human spirit, one that operates on different levels in different faiths. Featuring the scholarship of ethnomusicologist Jeffrey Wayne Cupchik on Tibetan singing bowl music, reflections on the role of bells in the Hindu-American soundscape from Nikhil Mandalaparthy, and a jingle dress dancing demonstration from Jocelyn, Ryanne, and Prairie Rose White with the scholarship of Brenda Child, this free program illuminates the power of bells, chimes, and jingles to connect us to the divine—and even to heal—as we celebrate faith in harmony.
