Medieval Festival April 27 at TAMIU, Shakespeare Club Forms

If you are in the mood for tossing your PalmPilot aside and wandering into the mystical era of chivalry, adventure and romance, the annual Medieval Festival at Texas A&M International University awaits with food and poetry Saturday, April 27 from 1-8 p.m. on the University Green.

The free event is organized by the Student Government Association and Sigma Tau Delta, the A&M International chapter of the International English Honors Society. Featured activities will include games and art, costume and reading contests.

Nicki Cone, an A&M International instructor of English who co-sponsors Sigma Tau Delta with associate professor of English Robert Haynes, said the event is open to the community. Performances will range from the A&M International Guitar Ensemble and local juggler "Kye" to a singer from a coffee shop in San Marcos.

"We will also have food booths and an open mike," Cone said.

Cone explained the purpose of the festival is to bring the literature of the Medieval and Renaissance periods alive for A&M International students and the community.

Those who enjoy literature from the Medieval period are also invited to join a new community club being organized at A&M International.

The club, Shakespeare Unbound, is informal and designed for those who have a deep love for Shakespeare, said Dr. Robert Welsh, assistant professor of English.

Welsh said the club plans to meet periodically in the evenings and form a circle of enthusiasts who will read out loud famous works of the poet laureate of the human race.

"This is not like putting a play together," Welsh said, adding that being in a reading group can be more fun than watching TV, "We will act up a play for the enjoyment of the people in the group. From time to time, I will also schedule showings of movies of Shakespeare plays and we will compare them to what we get from our readings."

Shakespeare, loved for his incredible wit and plays like "Hamlet" and "MacBeth," wrote on subjects that are common even to people of today, Welsh said.

"Every time you encounter Shakespeare, he gives you something new to think about. It is extremely refreshing to read his works and discuss them in a group. It's real food for thought," Welsh said.

Those interested in the Shakespeare Unbound group may contact Welsh at rwelsh@tamiu.edu or call 326-2529 and state why they would like the join the club and their most convenient time for meetings. Once information is compiled, members will be contacted for the first meeting.

For further information on the Medieval Festival, please contact Nicki Cone at 326-2647, e-mail or visit offices located in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, 421A. University office hours are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at pais@tamiu.edu