Mischief and mirth abound in the magical realm of fairies. Whether it's Puck from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream or J.M Barrie's Tinkerbell, you never know quite what you'll get from these fictional creatures.
But where and when did the notion of fairies first emerge? And why, after hundreds of years without evidence, do some people continue to believe in their existence? This hour we look at the history of fairies and fairy lore and ask how the classic fairy tale continues to be re-imagined for a modern world.
GUESTS:
- Ruth Bottigheimer - Literary scholar, folklorist, and research professor at Stony Brook University specializing in European fairy tales and British children’s literature. She’s the author of Fairy Tales: A New History
- Richard Green - Professor of English Emeritus at Ohio State University specializing in Middle English literature and author of the book Elf Queens and Holy Friars: Fairy Beliefs and the Medieval Church
- Darko Tresnjak - Tony award winning theatrical director at the Hartford Stage where he’s currently directing Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Will Apicella - Graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London; currently playing Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Hartford Stage
- Fiona Maher - Author of several books including The Secret of the Cottingley Fairies and her latest, The Last Changeling
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Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
