For this Club, the Play's the Thing

To be or not to be has never been a question for the Grafton Shakespeare Club.

The group started in 1987 and nearly 25 years later, continues to play homage to the Bard.

Club members get together regularly to read Shakespearean works. They meet the second and fourth Monday of the month from September through May,

A producer is assigned and roles are cast for the readings. Each year, the group reads through four plays.

The club is reading "Henry IV, Part I'' through January.

They also put on small performances on occasion. They also view movies with a Shakespeare theme.

The plays have timeless themes that keep their messages current, club vice president Linda Casey said. She appreciates "his amazing insight into human nature'' and the "creative use of language.''

Sheila Granger, the club's archivist and one of two founding members still active in the group, likes Shakespeare's wit. 

"It was written very tongue in cheek,'' she said. "He had to be very careful with a king on the throne.''

"That's probably why he was very careful not to place a play in England'' when the theme of royalty reigned, said club member Carolyn Jakubiak, past president. "His plays are very pro-democracy.''

Of course, each club member has a favorite play. Jakubiak prefers "The Merchant of Venice'' because the play is "timeless and it's inspirational, having such a strong woman as Portia in that time.''

The work also reflects "all the human frailty and bigotry we deal with right into the 21^st century. It's all very relevant today.''

For more information about the Grafton Shakespeare Club, call 508-278-4517.