Saturday, April 23 is “Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebration at the Library.”  To celebrate the Bard’s birthday, the library is hosting a day-long series of event coordinated by Jennifer Spirko.  The schedule for the day:

•  10:30 to 11:30 a.m.         Bardfest for Kids!  Bardfest for Kids! is a workshop of   stage movement, storytelling and games for children, ages 5-12. While adults may see Shakespeare as the stuff of homework, his plays are filled with humor and fantasy. Bardfest for Kids! brings that side of Shakespeare to life. This fun and interactive event will get youngsters moving and laughing along with storytellers and theater professionals Meg Smith Beach and Josh Beach. This event will be in the Dorothy Herron Room & Meeting Room Hallway. Additionally, Shakespearean crafts and themed activities will be available for youngsters in the Children’s Library all day.
• 12:30 p.m.                             Shakespeare Trivia for Non-Experts.  Trivia buffs, be onthe alert: Test your Shakespeare know-how in a celebration of fun facts about our most famous writer. Not an expert? No problem! These questions are geared to EVERYONE, not toward scholars, and the emphasis will be on fun. Leave your Ph.D. at home, but be ready for puns, logic puzzles and, of course, trivia. All ages are welcome; teens are especially invited. This event will be in the Dorothy Herron Room A & Meeting Room Hallway.
• 2 to 4 p.m.                             Shakespeare Cabaret.  Shakespeare’s words will come tolife at this Open Mic event. Celebrate with words and music, comical and tragic, romantic and patriotic. Those who know Shakespeare mostly as homework read in school will get a new look at the Bard’s work as it was meant to be experienced – live! The library has lined up performers, including actors, teachers and scholars, but the microphone will be open to performers from the floor. So bring your favorite sonnet or speech from Shakespeare and join in the celebration! This event will be in the Main Gallery of the Library.
• 6:30 p.m.                                 Shakespeare Murder Mystery: An Interactive Puzzle for Teens.  It’s “murder most foul” in the library! Teens are invited to take part in an after-hours mystery party, searching through the Blount County Library for clues and culprits as they solve a crime with a Shakespearean flair. They’ll need to ask questions and use logic to figure out who’s a villain and who’s innocent. The Bard once had a character declare, “First thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers!” Another called on his fellow conspirators to “carve” up a tyrant as “a dish fit for the gods.” The library’s mystery will avoid the bloodshed but dive into the conspiracies! This event will be in Teen Central and throughout the Library.  Pre-registration is required.  Contact the Reference Desk or call 982-0981, ext. 4, or 273-1428 by Monday, April 18, to sign up.