Welcome to the Stratford Library Adult Department.
July Adult Programs
ADULT SUMMER READING 2024
June 1st – August 10thSummer reading isn’t just for kids.
Join our Adult Reading challenge & enter to win our prize drawing for gift cards.FEATURED PROGRAMS
The Square One Theatre Company, in conjunction with the Stratford Library, returns with its annual program of live, staged readings of new plays! Free and Open to the public. Adult audiences, please. Doors open at 6:30 pm for general seating only, first-come, first-served.
Summer, 1976
Wednesday, July 3 | Lovell Room
Tonights play reading is David Auburn’s bittersweet comedy that finds two mothers recalling the summer they met. Lillian Garcia & Lucy Babbitt star.- Aaron
Thursday, July 11 | Lovell Room
Stratford playwright Ryan Marcone’s contemporary play about Artificial Intelligence and modern art. - The Sweet Delilah Swim Club
Wednesday, July 17 | Lovell Room
A sweet comedy concerning five Southern women who meet annually and let their hair down. - I Don’t Care & Other Plays
Thursday, July 25 | Lovell Room
West Hartford playwright Stu Brown’s collection of five diverse 10-minute plays. - Typhoid Mary
Wednesday, July 31 | Lovell Room
Mark St. Germain’s story of Mary Mallon, known better as Typhoid Mary, in her battle to escape imprisonment by the New York Health Department.
SHAKESPEARE PERFORMANCE: THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR
Friday, July 12 | 6pm | Library Courtyard
Saturday & Sunday, July 13 & 14 | 2pm | Library Courtyard
The Hudson Shakespeare Company returns to the Stratford Library July 12-14 with the comedic romp, William Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” set to bopping 50s hits and given a sitcom-style makeover ala “I Love Lucy”. The performance, held outside in the Library’s Courtyard, is free and open to the public.
Patrons are invited to bring a lawn chair or blanket to spread. In the event of inclement weather, the show will be presented in the library’s air-conditioned Lovell Room. Admission is free and open to the public. No reservations required.
SPICE UP YOUR SUMMER: Old Bay
Monday, June 17 | Reference Department
Stop by the Reference Desk and pick up a “Spice Up Your Summer: Old Bay Grab & Go kit”. Each kit contains a sample of the spice plus information and recipes to try.
Beginning Monday, July 22, you can stop at the Reference Desk to pick up a kit. There is no registration. Kits are first come, first served. Supplies are limited. One kit per household.
CONCERT: New England Guitar Society Midsummer Concert!
Saturday, July 20 | 2pm | Lovell Room
The popular classical guitar company returns to the Library for their annual midsummer concert.
Free and open to the public.TALK: Specters Galore from Forest to Shore
Sunday, July 21 | 2pm | Lovell Room
The Stratford Library will celebrate ParaConn weekend with Stratford Town Historian Dave Wright and his talk, “Specters Galore from Forest to Shore”. This program is presented in conjunction with the Baldwin Center’s ParaConn weekend of paranormal events. Wright invites residents to join the discussion about some of the venues in Stratford that may well raise the hair on the back of your neck, put a nervous smile on your lips and leave you watching over your shoulder attempting to determine if what you just saw out of the corner of your eye was a shadow, or something much more ominous!
TALK: Reducing Food Waste
Tuesday, July 23 | 11am | Lovell Room
Join ShopRite Dietitian Siddhi Sheth, MS, RDN, CDN, for a presentation to learn ways you can use kitchen scraps and reduce food waste in the home! Siddhi will discuss tips for making the most out of a food item, and class will end with a fun waste reducing activity.
Registration requested.CAREER & TECH HELP:
COMPUTER CLASSES AT YOUR OWN PACE
Tuesday, July 16 or Thursday, July 25 | 2pm | Board Room
Take one of our training sessions to learn how to use Northstar Online Learning to build your basic computer skills. Once you create an account you can pick what you learn at your own pace.
Register HERE for July 16
Register HERE for July 25
BOOK DISCUSSIONS:
Monday Morning Buzz
Monday, July 1 | 11am | Lovell Room
Stop in to hear what’s new, what’s hot, and what books are creating a buzz! Staff will lead an informal discussion of books, movies and more. Share what you’re reading and watching and hear from others! Meets the first Monday of the month.
Little Gems Book Discussion: Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman
Wednesday, July 10 | 11am | Lovell Room
Join us for discussion of Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman. This small book is a little gem of little gems! It’s a small book of thoughtful and subtly amusing essays about books, language, words!
Copies of the book are available at the Checkout Desk. Also, downloadable audio is available through the Hoopla app.CREATE:
Coloring & Coffee
Monday, July 1 | 6pm | Lovell Room
Don’t let stress get you down! Try coloring for adults! Coloring has many benefits including helping you to focus and de-stress. Stop in and give it a try. The Library will supply coloring pages, colored pencils and markers, plus coffee and tea. You are welcome to bring your own supplies too.
Knit Wits
Wednesday, July 10 & 24 | 6pm | Lovell Room
Join the library’s drop-in knitting program! Also crochet! Make new friends, get tips and share ideas while working on your own projects.
Held every other Wednesday evening 6:00-7:30pm.Adult Craft – Cyanotype Fabric Prints
Saturday, July 27 | 10am | Lovell Room
Create beautiful art with the nature! We will use the sun, leaves, plants and flowers to create cyanotype prints on fabric. After you create your design, display it in a frame to enjoy year round. All materials provided. This program is for ages 18+
Registration opens July 13 at 10am.
Registration is requiredMOVIES:
The Color Purple
Monday, July 15 | 12pm | Lovell Room
A story of love and resilience based on the novel and the Broadway musical, THE COLOR PURPLE is a decades-spanning tale of one woman’s journey to independence. Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.
Rated PG-13. 141 minutes.- Civil War
Monday, July 29 | 12pm | Lovell Room
From filmmaker Alex Garland comes a journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.
Rated R. 109 minutes.
June Adult Programs
Continue reading →ADULT SUMMER READING 2024
June 1st – August 10thSummer reading isn’t just for kids.
Join our Adult Reading challenge & enter to win our prize drawing for gift cards.FEATURED PROGRAMS
Talk: STRATFORD, THE STORIES WE TELL – LEGIONS OF LEGENDS
Monday, June 3 | 6:30pm | Lovell Room
Town Historian David Wright holds this monthly lecture series, a detailed examination of the Stratford’s history.
In David’s presentations, Stratford: The Stories We Tell, he reveals the “hidden” and forgotten stories of Stratford that help us remember who we are and why we’re here.
Tonight is his final presentation in the series.READERS THEATRE SUMMER SHOWCASE 2024:
The Square One Theatre Company, in conjunction with the Stratford Library, returns with its annual program of live, staged readings of new plays! Free and Open to the public. Adult audiences, please.- Dear Jack, Dear Louise
Thursday, June 13 | 6:30pm | Lovell Room
Tonight’s play reading concerns a long distance WW2 romance that details playwright Ken Ludwig’s parents’ love affair. - The Garbologists
Thursday, June 27 | 6:30pm | Lovell Room
Tonight’s play reading finds a couple who are thrown together on a garbage collection root in Lindsay Joelle’s off-beat comedy.
THE FRANK PORTO BAND
Saturday, June 15, | 2pm | Lovell Room
This popular band returns to the library with its vibrant big sound, playing hit music from The Great American Song Book.SPICE UP YOUR SUMMER: Turmeric
Monday, June 17 | Reference Department
Stop by the Reference Desk and pick up a “Spice Up Your Summer: Turmeric Grab & Go kit”. Each kit contains a sample of the spice plus information and recipes to try.
Beginning Monday, June 17, you can stop at the Reference Desk to pick up a kit. There is no registration. Kits are first come, first served. Supplies are limited. One kit per household.Talk: ON JUNETEENTH
Wednesday, June 19 | 7pm | Lovell Room
The Juneteenth celebration will be hosted by Dr. Immacula Cann who serves as the Juneteenth Grand Marshal this year. Professionally, Cann is a Board Certified Psychiatric and Mental Health Registered Nurse, with a Doctorate of Nursing Practice Degree. She has chosen to augment her talk this evening with commentary about the mental health and trauma in the minority community.LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF JUNETEENTH
CAREER & TECH HELP:
COMPUTER CLASSES AT YOUR OWN PACE
Tuesday, June 11 or Thursday, June 20 | 2pm | Board Room
Take one of our training sessions to learn how to use Northstar Online Learning to build your basic computer skills. Once you create an account you can pick what you learn at your own pace.
Register HERE for June 11
Register HERE for June 20
BOOK DISCUSSIONS:Monday Morning Buzz
Monday, June 3 | 11am | Lovell Room
Stop in to hear what’s new, what’s hot, and what books are creating a buzz! Staff will lead an informal discussion of books, movies and more. Share what you’re reading and watching and hear from others!
“Don’t Know Much About” Book Discussion
Wednesday, June 12 | 11am | Lovell Room
BOOK OF COLOURS by Robyn Cadwallader
This title offers fascinating insights into the vibrant and difficult world of early 14th century London, through the characters involved in the creation of an illuminated manuscript. Copies of the discussion book are at the Checkout Desk. E-book download is available through the Hoopla app and the Libby app.
Copies available at the Check-Out Desk.
Register HEREBooks Over Coffee
Wednesday, April 24 | noon | Lovell Room
TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett
#1 New York Times Bestseller and Reese’s Book Club pick. A meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart.
Copies available at the Check-Out Desk.
CREATE:Coloring & Coffee
Monday, June 10 | 6pm | Lovell Room
Don’t let stress get you down! Try coloring for adults! Coloring has many benefits including helping you to focus and de-stress. Stop in and give it a try. The Library will supply coloring pages, colored pencils and markers, plus coffee and tea. You are welcome to bring your own supplies too.Knit Wits
Wednesday, June 5 & 26 | 6pm | Lovell Room
Join the library’s drop-in knitting program! Also crochet! Make new friends, get tips and share ideas while working on your own projects.
Held every other Wednesday evening 6:00-7:30pm.
Adult Craft Night: Hanging T-shirt planters
Thursday, June 6 | 6pm | Lovell Room
Let’s upcycle old T-shirts into hanging planters! Bring in an old T-shirt to cut up and make T-shirt yarn that we will use to create a quick and unique hanging planter. Plants and pots provided.
Register HERE
MOVIES:
Maestro
Monday, June 8 | 12pm | Lovell Room
“Maestro” is a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan). A love letter to life and art, “Maestro” at its core is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.
Rated R. 129 minutes.- Dune: Part Two
Monday, June 24 | 12pm | Lovell Room
“Dune: Part Two” will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.
Rated PG-13. 166 minutes.
GREAT MOVIES YOU MISSED
Monday, June 17 thru Friday, June 21 | 12pm | Lovell Room
Anatomy of a Fall – Monday, June 17- All of Us Strangers – Tuesday, June 18
- The Zone of Interest – Wednesday, June 19
- Love Lies Bleeding – Thursday, June 20
- American Fiction – Friday, June 21
- Dear Jack, Dear Louise
May Adult Programs
FEATURED PROGRAMS
Library After Hours! THE ROOTS OF BLACK MUSIC IN AMERICA
Friday, May 3 | 7pm | Lovell Room
Producer, songwriter, teacher, and troubadour, Karlus Trapp presents his delightful, educational and entertaining presentation “The Roots of Black Music in America.” It is a 100 year journey back through time, and offers a fresh perspective through song, story, and history to learn about the music of America’s black musical giants.
Check out Karlus Trupp here: https://vimeo.com/473417345?share=copy
Talk: Adventures in Nepal
Sunday May 5 | 2pm | Lovell Room
Stratford resident Letitia Laberee will talk about her work with The Forgotten Sherpas of Nepal Trust which raises funds and builds medical clinics in remote areas. Letitia will share her stories and adventures while volunteering for the trust. Learn about life in Nepal, see beautiful photos, and hear inspiring stories.
Talk: THE BRITISH INVASION AND THE AMERICAN ANSWER – A MUSICAL JOURNEY
Tuesday, May 7 | 7pm | Lovell Room
Take a fun and nostalgic journey through the most iconic and greatest era of rock-and-roll history with author and pop culture historian Marty Gitlin. This presentation highlights performance videos of influential British Invasion superstars as well as American bands that provided a wonderful reply. The presentation will conclude with a question-and-answer period. This program is a lot of fun so join in!MUSICAL PERFORMANCE – FOUR FOR A SONG
Friday, May 10 | 3pm | Lovell Room
A really special show with a quartet of singers led by soprano Brett Kroeger singing a variety of Opera arias, operetta duets and classic Broadway showtunes.
Sunday Afternoon Talks: THE STRATFORD DEVIL!
Sunday, May 19 | 2pm | Lovell Room
Welcome back author Claude Clayton Smith to Stratford and the Library to celebrate the 3rd edition of THE STRATFORD DEVIL, the story of recently exonerated Goody Bassett. Smith is a Stratford native, Bunnell grad, and author of the historical novel THE STRATFORD DEVIL.Talks: THE FOOD NEUTRAL KITCHEN
Tuesday, May 21 | 6:30pm | Lovell Room
Join Food Explorers for a discussion about diet culture, food neutrality, and how to embrace a positive relationship with food. This discussion will prompt a deeper dive into your own relationship with food, how it formed and how much of an impact we can have on the future generation by using food neutral language.
CAREER & TECH HELP:COMPUTER CLASSES AT YOUR OWN PACE
Tuesday, April 9 or Thursday, April 16 | 2pm | Board Room
Take one of our training sessions to learn how to use Northstar Online Learning to build your basic computer skills. Once you create an account you can pick what you learn at your own pace.
Register HERE for May 14
Register HERE for May 23
CAREER COACH: Learn Microsoft Word
Monday, May 13 | 10am & 1pm | Career Coach on Main St, near Library entrance
Learn what you need to successfully use Microsoft Word! There will be time to practice what you learned at the end of the session.
This help session is offered in the morning from 10am-12pm and again in the afternoon from 1-3pm.Sign up to reserve a space:
10am-12pm session
1-3pm session
BOOK DISCUSSIONS:Monday Morning Buzz
Monday, May 6 | 11am | Lovell Room
Stop in to hear what’s new, what’s hot, and what books are creating a buzz! Staff will lead an informal discussion of books, movies and more. Share what you’re reading and watching and hear from others!
Little Gems Book Discussion
Wednesday, May 8 | 11am | Lovell Room
MRS. SPRING FRAGRANCE by Sui Sin Far
This book is a rediscovered classic (originally published in 1912) and the author is considered to be among the first writers of Asian descent to publish fiction in the United States. In this “little gem” of short stories set in Seattle’s and San Francisco’s Chinatowns, ordinary people fall in love, experience tragedy, and grapple with the challenges of reconciling the old and the new in their lives.
Copies available at the Checkout Desk. Also downloadable through Hoopla.
Books Over Coffee
Wednesday, May 29 | noon | Lovell Room
NIGHT OF THE LIVING REZ by Morgan Talty
A Finalist for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Fiction, the Chautauqua Prize 2023, and Barnes & Noble Discover Book Prize
Named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, NPR, Esquire, Oprah Daily, and more!
Set in a Native community in Maine, Night of the Living Rez is a riveting debut collection about what it means to be Penobscot in the twenty-first century and what it means to live, to survive, and to persevere after tragedy.
Copies available at the Check-Out Desk.
CREATE:Coloring & Coffee
Monday, May 6 | 6pm | Lovell Room
Don’t let stress get you down! Try coloring for adults! Coloring has many benefits including helping you to focus and de-stress. Stop in and give it a try. The Library will supply coloring pages, colored pencils and markers, plus coffee and tea. You are welcome to bring your own supplies too.Knit Wits
Wednesday, May 8 & 22 | 6pm | Lovell Room
Join the library’s drop-in knitting program! Also crochet! Make new friends, get tips and share ideas while working on your own projects.
Held every other Wednesday evening 6:00-7:30pm.
MOVIES:
Continue reading →
Monday Matinees: THE HOLDOVERS
Monday, May 13 | 12pm | Lovell Room
From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, THE HOLDOVERS follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
Rated R, 133 minutes
