Charles O'Malley & Scott W. Stern — Shakespeare's Margaret: The Dramatic Life of a Warrior Queen — at Conn Ave
Charles O'Malley and Scott W. Stern present their new book *Shakespeare's Margaret: The Dramatic Life of a Warrior Queen* at Politics and Prose’s Connecticut Avenue location. The evening explores Shakespeare’s most formidable female character, Margaret of Anjou, tracing her historical roots as a teenage French princess turned wartime queen and her subsequent reinvention across centuries of performance. O’Malley, a dramaturgy scholar, and Stern, an acclaimed historian and critic, examine how Margaret’s role has been reshaped from Elizabethan misogynist caricature to modern feminist icon, highlighting actors such as Peggy Ashcroft, Helen Mirren, and Sophie Okonedo who have brought her to life. The event blends literary analysis, theatre history, and gender studies, inviting the audience to reconsider a figure who speaks more lines than any other Shakespearean woman yet remains little known to many contemporary viewers.
When: Monday, August 3, 2026, at 7:00 pm Eastern Time.
Showtimes: The event consists of a single presentation and discussion starting at 7:00 pm; no additional showtimes are listed.
Tickets: Admission is free, with seating offered on a first‑come, first‑served basis. No advance ticket purchase is required.
Lineup: Charles O’Malley, who holds a doctorate in dramaturgy and dramatic criticism from the Yale School of Drama and edited *Toward a Just Pedagogy of Performance*; and Scott W. Stern, author of *The Trials of Nina McCall* (a *New York Times* Editors’ Choice selection) and *There Is a Deep Brooding in Arkansas* (called “powerful new history” by the *Times*).
Run time: No run time is specified; the event is expected to last approximately one hour, typical for a book‑talk and Q&A.
Ages: No age restrictions or age recommendations are provided.
Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008. The event is held in the store’s event space.
Note: A livestream option is available for those who cannot attend in person. To request accessibility accommodations or inquire about venue access, email events@politics‑prose.com ideally one week before the event date; the organizers will try to accommodate all requests up until the time of the event. The book *Shakespeare’s Margaret: The Dramatic Life of a Warrior Queen* (ISBN 9781324076551, hardcover, $31.99) will be available for purchase at the event and is currently in stock at the store.