Goshen College Afternoon Sabbatical heads to Shaw Festival at Niagara-on-the-Lake Sept. 15-17; Aug. 10 deadline to sign up

GOSHEN, Ind. – Experiencing award-winning theater, exploring a Victorian village in Ontario, Canada, and enjoying exceptional cuisine are all part of a weekend excursion to the Shaw Festival on Sept. 15-17 as part of the Afternoon Sabbatical series.

Interested participants can register now to travel to Niagara-on-the-Lake, known as the “prettiest town in Canada” to attend the popular Shaw Festival. Along with a schedule of sightseeing and fine dining, trip participants will have their choice of three of four plays performed by the Shaw Festival Acting Company, which is regarded as among the finest in the world.

Bernard Shaw’s “Arms and the Man” will be attended by all registrants. It is the story of a heroic young woman saving a fleeing soldier from certain death on a dark winter’s night. When he comes back to see her the next spring, her ideas of love and romance are turned upside down in this smart, witty satire on war, heroes and “higher love.”

Attendees will have a choice between “The Invisible Man,” an adaptation by Michael O’Brien of H.G. Wells’s novel, and “The Magic Fire” by Lillian Groag. Wells’s classic story is the ultimate “cautionary tale.” When a mysterious figure staggers into a tavern in a remote Sussex village, his bandaged face and strange manner raise concern among the locals. Suspicion swiftly turns to fear – then to mayhem – as terrible truths come to light. The play is a riveting exploration of issues surrounding scientific inquiry and personal freedom.

“The Magic Fire” is the story of the vibrant Berg family of Italian-Viennese descent who had fled to Eva Peron’s Argentina along with many other Europeans. Their great loves are opera, wine, good conversation and each other, but these can’t keep them forever insulated from the political maelstrom just outside their door.

An extra option (with add-on-cost) for trip participants, is the opportunity to see a production of “High Society,” based on the book by Arthur Kopit and with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. In it, viewers will meet the Lords – a truly patrician family of high society who are also among the most wayward, eccentric and outrageously charming group of relatives to inhabit the stage. They were first brought to dazzling life in Philip Barry’s celebrated comedy “The Philadelphia Story.”

Overnight accommodations will be at the Prince of Wales Hotel, one of Canada’s most historic landmarks. Situated on the town’s main street, the Prince of Wales offers elegant rooms, decorated to reflect the style of a bygone era. The trip will conclude with a visit to Niagara Falls, located 20 minutes away.

Mary Ann Roth, chair of the Afternoon Sabbatical Committee, and Janette Yoder, Goshen College director of community programs, will host the tour, joined by Doug Caskey, professor of theater at Goshen College. Caskey will provide interesting commentary and background on all of the plays with the opportunity for lively discussion.

The $565 package includes bus travel, two nights lodging at the Prince of Wales, two theater tickets, Friday night dinner and Sunday breakfast, and a stop at Niagara Falls.

For more information or to register for the trip call the Goshen College Welcome Center at (574) 535-7566 or e-mail welcomecenter@goshen.edu. A $25 nonrefundable deposit is required to reserve your place on the trip. Final payment of the full amount is due by Aug. 10.

Goshen College’s Afternoon Sabbatical program is in its 29th year of offering rich diversity in programs for the community. A committee of area representatives and college personnel look to the wealth of knowledge and talent at Goshen College and among Elkhart County citizens and selects programs that will appeal to a wide variety of interests. Programs have an integral connection to the college, either through subject matter or in ways in which the campus and community are interrelated.

For more information on the Afternoon Sabbatical series call the Goshen College Welcome Center at (574) 535-7566 or e-mail welcomecenter@goshen.edu.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.