Wisconsin Revival Of Playwright Lord Dunsany to Mark Falconbridge Players Season Debut

Falconbridge Players' first presentation of the 2023 season will be the Wisconsin revival of a playwright once extremely popular in the Madison area: Lord Dunsany, the prolific British playwright and novelist. On February 28, 2023, Falconbridge will present staged readings of two of Lord Dunsany's most cutting satires: "Cheezo", a tale of processed foods and artificiality written shortly after the launch of Velveeta-brand cheese food, and "The Lost Silk Hat," a satire of class blinders. The performance will take place at Arts + Literature Laboratory, 111 S. Livingston St. in Madison at 7 PM, and is free and open to the public.

Lord Dunsany is frequently credited as a spiritual forefather to the modern literary disciplines of science fiction and high fantasy, and is considered a direct influence on major media franchises including Middle Earth and Star Wars. Before fading from prominence, his works were frequently performed on local stages and in public parlors.

The Red Domino troupe operated by University of Wisconsin-Madison students was particularly fond of his work, presenting Dunsany plays and stories on several occasions. According to newspaper records, Red Domino merged with several other societies and dramatic troupes into the Wisconsin University Players in the early 1920s. Lord Dunsany's work was also popular fodder for UW-Madison professors, including the noted William E. Leonard.

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