Shake 38 Hits Florissant Friday with 'King John'

Shakespeare lovers can rejoice when a reading of one of his famous plays comes to the City of Florissant Friday.

“King John” will be performed in the Council chambers of City Hall at 7 p.m., according to a city press release. The play’s staged reading will be a part of Shake38, a 38-play Shakespeare marathon throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area. The marathon is a part of the annual Shakespeare Festival St. Louis.

Florissant resident and play director Peter Banholzer will produce the play.

“King John is a historical play about King John of England's reign and his battles with France,” according to a city press release. “The story of two lands embroiled in prickly diplomatic negotiations, which often gives way to open warfare, draws parallels to timeless themes of power, family feuding, social upheaval, and a mother's determination to protect her child.”

The plays also celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday, April 23, and will run through that day.

More than 300 St. Louis residents participated in the 38-play marathon last year, according to a blog posted by the organization. “A few highlights this year will include the Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble performing "Much Ado About Nothing" in the canoes near the suspension bridge at the Forest Park Grand Basin; the Blind Pigs (St. Louis' underground dining society) performing a scene from "Henry V" at Rung and Sprung (9739 Manchester Rd.); and alumni from Prison Performing Arts performing "Hamlet" at the Penthouse at Plush.”

For Florissant, the play also coincides with the celebration of the first Valley of Flowers festival, held April 19, 1963.