Speaking of the ESU - English-Speaking Union of the United States

 English-Speaking Union of New York
Education. Scholarship. Understanding.
Speaking of
the ESU
Newsletter for October to December 2015
Thank you to ESU National
Patrons from the
To welcome its members from a summer hiatus, the New York Branch held a New York Branch
Fall Welcome Reception: Debate Program Fall Reception on September 24 at the ESU house. We welcomed Chessy Whelan
and Matthew Willmore, USA Team Debaters
from the ESU of the Commonwealth
(Dartmouth House), for a debate with local
teams from St. John's University and Adelphi
University. In front of a packed house
comprising ESU members, as well as middle
school students and their parents, these eight
debaters faced off on a very current topic:
This House Believes the EU should impose a minimum quota of refugees to be
accepted by member states.
Chessy and Matt are the 2015 representatives of the oldest and arguably the most
prestigious universities annual debating tour that has been running since 1922.
Each year Dartmouth House sends two UK debaters to the US between September
and November. This tour is the premier opportunity for British debaters
to practice their craft, and the list of alumni boasts a former British Prime Minister,
a Leader of the Opposition, an Archbishop of Canterbury, many senior politicians,
journalists and businesspeople.
During their week with us, Chessy and Matt visited local middle schools in
New York City that participate in the ESU Middle School Debate Program.
ESU Intern
We are delighted that a Mountbatten intern is working with us for the
next year. We are pleased to welcome Kemi Gannon from the UK. She
joined us a few weeks ago and already has demonstrated herself to be
invaluable. She is pursuing an MA from the University of Chester
through the Mountbatten Institute. She will be learning about all aspects of
American not-for-profits with the ESU as a case study. Her duties will be assisting
with membership, fundraising and development and financial issues. She will also
be helping to run the New York Branch through its ongoing resurgence.
We extend our gratitude to the
following who support the
English-Speaking Union and the
English-Speaking Union New
York as current members of the
National Patron Program:
Dr. Paul Beresford-Hill MBE
Mr. Matthew Barhydt
Ms. Alice Boyne
Ms. Adrienne Bliss Brown
Mr. Peter Buffington
Ms. M. Christine Carty, Esq.
Miss Barbara Deacon
Dr. and Mrs. Solomon Golomb
Ms. Marjorie L. Kennedy
Mrs. Alice La Prelle
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Dean Leonard
Ms. Carol Losos
Dr. Christopher Medalis
Mr. William R. Miller CBE
Mr. Edward Mohylowski
Mr and Mrs Robert P Morse
Ms. Colleen Murphy
Mr. and Mrs. Bennet Muse
Mr. and Mrs. Martin Nance
Ms. Dorinda J. Oliver
Mr and Mrs Daniel Rose
Mr. and Mrs. Stanley DeForest Scott
Mr. Noel Sloan
Mr. Ellsworth Stanton III, MBE, KSJ
Mr and Mrs Brian Viner
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Warden
Mr. and Mrs. Dave Williams
RENEW YOUR ESU NEW YORK MEMBERSHIP
If you have not yet renewed your annual membership, please take a moment to fill out the form at the end of this newsletter
The English-Speaking Union
144 East 39th Street, New York, NY 10016 | 212-818-1200 | www.esuus.org/newyork
Speaking of the ESU
Newsletter for October to December 2015
Annual General Meeting
Over the weekend October 10-12 2015, the ESU held its Annual General Meeting in NYC where our new Chairman
Dr Paul Beresford-Hill was formally welcomed. The George Washington themed AGM gave the opportunity for all our
Branches to come together and intermingle through various means while discussing ESU matters. It was
a successful event, which focused on the accomplishments of our educational programs and also included talks on how
we can continue to grow and expand these rousing programs across our branches. Among the delegates from ESU NY
were Marjorie Kennedy, Marianne Heiden, and Peter Buffington.
We would like to give a special Thank You to the New York Branch who sponsored the AGM Patron party, at the
Morris-Jumel Mansion, and the pre-walking tour breakfast at the ESU house.
Lectures
Over the next few months there will be an exciting array of lectures taking place. Kicking off the series is a lecture by
Curt DiCamillo on October 22 “Greed, Lust and Murder, King Henry VIII, The Tudor Court and How it Changed
England Forever” and tickets are still available (see listing below in “Events for members”). In November, Kerry Dean
Carso will present a lecture on “Gothic Revival and Anglo American Literary Culture.” Finally, Justin Martin will
round up the year with a talk on his latest book, “Rebel Souls: Walt Whitman and America’s First Bohemians.”
Curt DiCamillo, is an American architectural historian and a recognized authority on the British
country house. He will provide a broad sweep of all five Tudor monarchs, encompassing their lives,
personalities, art, architecture, and literature, all of which have come down to us today in many and
surprising ways. DiCamillo works full-time on lecturing, writing, and leading tours about the
architectural and artistic heritage of Britain and its influence around the world. Before going
into private practice, DiCamillo served for eight years as Executive Director of The National
Trust Foundation for Scotland USA, in Boston. DiCamillo will also be returning on January 7, 2016
to lecture on Lords, Ladies and Mummies, the story of Highclere Castle.
Kerry Dean Carso, who authors American Gothic Art and Architecture in the Age of
Romantic Literature, is chair and associate professor of art history at the State University of New York
at New Paltz, where she teaches courses on American art and architecture. Her research focuses
on interconnections between the arts and literature in nineteenth-century United States. Ms Carso’s
lecture is sponsored by the Metropolitan Chapter of the Victorian Society in America.
Justin Martin is the author of three previous books, including Genius of Place:
The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted , Greenspan: The Man Behind Money, and Nader: Crusader,
Spoiler, Icon. Martin will be lecturing at the ESU on his most recent book Rebel Souls: Walt
Whitman and America’s First Bohemians. This is the first book ever written about a colorful,
decadent, and immensely influential artists’ circle that hung out at Pfaff’s saloon in NYC during
the 1850s. Mr Martin’s lecture is sponsored by the Metropolitan Chapter of the Victorian Society
in America.
New York Branch Lectures are made possible by generous support from the Drue Heinz Trust.
The English-Speaking Union of New York,
144 East 39th Street, New York, NY 10016 | 212-818-1200 | www.esuus.org/newyork
2 EVENTS FOR MEMBERS
ESU PLAYERS
Monday
October 19, 2015
6:00 to 9:00 pm at the ESU 144 East 39th St.
Please join us for a reading of An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley. On a night when the
Birling family is celebrating the engagement of their daughter an Inspector calls
investigating the death of a young woman. As the play unfolds every member present
had been involved in events that led to her death. This play is considered a classic and a
film version with Miranda Richardson will be released later this year. Come at 6:00 for
wine and to chat with the cast. The play begins promptly at 6:30pm. The reading of the
play begins promptly at 6:30. Free for members and their guests. RSVP: 212.818.1200
or newyork@esuus.org
AUTUMN LECTURE
Thursday
October 22, 2015
6:30 to 8:00 pm at the ESU, 144 East 39th St.
Greed, Lust, and Murder: King Henry VIII, the Tudor Court, and How It
Changed England Forever, a lecture by Curt DiCamillo, a noted authority on British
architecture, country houses, British heritage and history. Lecture begins promptly at
6:30 pm; a light reception follows. $15 for National Patrons, $25 for ESU Members and
$35 for Non-members. Register online at http://www.esuus.org/newyork/about/
tudor_lecture/. Proceeds support Branch education activities, including BUSS Scholars,
the Branch (NYC) Shakespeare Competition and the Middle-School Debate Program.
All National Patrons are invited to attend a pre-lecture Champagne reception with the
lecturer in the Executive Director’s office at 6:00 pm. New York Branch Lectures are
made possible by generous support from the Drue Heinz Trust. For information call
Ed Mohylowski at 212 818 1200, ext 218 or send an email to newyork@esuus.org.
BRITISH CINEMA
Monday
October 26, 2015
6:30 to 8:30 pm at the ESU, 144 East 39th St.
Just in time for Halloween, the Branch will screen Mother Riley Meets the Vampire, a
comedy horror film in which a feisty old Irish charwoman finds herself in the clutches of
none other than the greatest vampire of them all, Bela Lugosi. The cast includes Arthur
Lucan, Bela Lugosi, Maria Mercedes, Dora Bryan, Philip Leaver, Richard Watts, Cyril
Smith, Hattie Jacques, and Graham Moffatt. Branch member Barry Moreno provides
compelling commentary and insight prior to screening. Free for members and their
guests. To RSVP: 212.818.1200 or newyork@esuus.org.
MEMBERS’ HALLOWEEN RECEPTION - CANCELED
Thursday
October 29, 2015
3 EVENTS FOR MEMBERS
MYSTERY BOOK CLUB
With the British Cinema Group
Monday
November 2, 2015
6:30 to 8:30 pm at the ESU, 144 East 39th St.
The November mystery is Green for Danger, by Christianna Brand along with its film
version. During a World War II German bombing raid on rural southeast England during
World War II, a hospital undergoes heavy shelling. Postman Joseph Higgins dies on the
operating table when a bomb explodes in the operating room. But when Sister Marion
Bates dies after revealing that this is not the first patient of anesthetist Barney Barnes to
die under suspicious circumstances, Police Inspector Cockrill is brought in to investigate.
Free for members and their guests. To RSVP: 212.818.1200 or newyork@esuus.org.
ESU PLAYERS
Monday
November 9, 2015
6:00 to 9:00 pm at the ESU 144 East 39th St.
Noel Coward’s Relative Values is a satire in which snobbery and reverse snobbery of
both the British and Hollywood aristocracy collide. The Countess of Marshwood’s
dilemma is that her son is going to marry a famous American star who happens to be the
sister of her personal maid. Various solutions to the problem are tried until the butler
saves the day. Our staged reading will be directed by the well-known British actor and
director, Joan Shepard. There will be a reception following the performance. Admission
is $10 at the door but free for members and their guests with a reservation to
VICTORIAN SOCIETY LECTURE
Monday
November 12, 2015
6:30 to 8:30 pm at the ESU, 144 East 39th St.
Gothic Revival and Anglo-American Literary Culture by Kerry Dean Carso
British Gothic novels (most notably by Sir Walter Scott) and later nineteenth-century
American historical fiction by James Fenimore Cooper, Washington Irving and Nathaniel
Hawthorne influenced American artists and architects, including figures like Thomas
Jefferson, Alexander Jackson Davis, Washington Allston, Thomas Cole and the actor
Edwin Forrest. Kerry Dean Carso is Associate Professor of Art History at SUNY
New Paltz. Her book American Gothic Art and Architecture in the Age of Romantic
Literature received the Victorian Society in America's 2015 Henry-Russell Hitchcock
Award. Free for members and their guests. To RSVP: 212.818.1200 or
newyork@esuus.org.
BRITISH CINEMA
Monday
November 16, 2015
6:30 to 8:30 pm at the ESU, 144 East 39th St.
The film for November is The Confidential Agent. In this adaptation of the Graham
Greene novel, set during the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s, Luis Denard is a Spanish
secret agent on a counter-fascist mission to London. He is endeavoring to keep British
merchants from selling fuel supplies to enemy factions. When Denard seeks to
outmaneuver double agents Contreras and Mrs. Melandez, and is nearly killed, English
beauty Rose Cullen offers her assistance. Free for members and their guests. To RSVP:
212.818.1200 or newyork@esuus.org.
4 EVENTS FOR MEMBERS
ARNIC THANKSGIVING DINNER
Monday
November 23, 2015
Early evening at the ESU, 144 East 39th St.
Celebrate Thanksgiving at the ESU with a dinner honoring members of the Andrew
Romay New Immigrant Center (ARNIC). Come and help out, have a bite to eat, and
enjoy a glass of wine with fellow ESU members and friends. Meet, mingle and network
with members of ARNIC, share reminiscences about how you and your family
participate in this quintessential American holiday.
Watch the mail and email for event details and a formal invitation.
Thursday
December 3, 2015
YULETIDE PARTY
Early evening at the ESU, 144 East 39th St.
Join fellow members of the English-Speaking Union as we pair with members of the
British University Club to celebrate the season with a festive buffet dinner, open bar and
joyous caroling.
Watch the mail and email for event details and a formal invitation.
MYSTERY BOOK CLUB
with the British Cinema Group
Monday
December 7, 2015
6:30 to 8:30 pm at the ESU, 144 East 39th St.
The List of Adrian Messenger by Philip MacDonald (1959) and film. British army Col.
Anthony Gethryn is contacted by his old friend, Adrian Messenger, to investigate 11
men, whose names Messenger provides. After a plane carrying Messenger is blown up
by a mysterious perpetrator, Gethryn determines that the men on the list had been prisoners of war in Burma during World War II — and that someone connected to a minor
British aristocrat is methodically murdering each man on the list. Free for members and
their guests. To RSVP: 212.818.1200 or newyork@esuus.org.
VICTORIAN SOCIETY LECTURE 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the ESU, 144 East 39th St.
Thursday
December 10, 2015
Rebel Souls: Walt Whitman and America’s First Bohemians, by Justin Martin
On the eve of the Civil War, a group of eccentric artists began congregating at Pfaff's, a
basement saloon on lower Broadway in Manhattan. The scene nurtured a young Walt
Whitman and a circle of congenial friends such as journalist Artemus Ward, actress
Adah Isaacs Menken and writer Mark Twain. Justin Martin is a journalist and
historian who has written biographies of Alan Greenspan, Ralph Nader and Frederick
Law Olmsted. In May, Martin's Rebel Souls was honored with a Victorian Society
New York book award for outstanding biography. Free for members and their guests.
To RSVP: 212.818.1200 or newyork@esuus.org.
5 EVENTS FOR MEMBERS
Monday
December 14, 2015
Monday
December 21, 2015
Thursday
January 7, 2015
ESU PLAYERS
6:00 to 9:00 pm at the ESU 144 East 39th St.
The Man Who Came to Dinner by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman will be a jolly
addition your holiday season. The play takes place right before Christmas when Mr. and
Mrs. Stanley invite the celebrated Sheridan Whiteside for dinner. An unfortunate
accident forces him to extend his stay whereupon he puts the house under siege from his
extended reign of terror. Join us for a reading of one of the funniest comedies ever
written. Free for members and their guests. To RSVP: 212.818.1200 or
newyork@esuus.org.
BRITISH CINEMA GROUP 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the ESU, 144 East 39th St.
This month’s film, Saloon Bar, is a holiday thriller that was released on November 2,
1940. It's Christmas, and a good customer of a local bar has been wrongly convicted of a
crime and is scheduled to die in the morning. His friends at the bar set out to prove his
innocence in time to save him. Free for members and their guests. To RSVP:
212.818.1200 or newyork@esuus.org.
BRANCH LECTURE SERIES
6:30 to 8:00 pm at the ESU, 144 East 39th St.
Lords, Ladies and Mummies, the story of Highclere Castle, the setting for
Downton Abbey, by Curt DiCamillo.
Although famous today as the country house depicted in the television series Downton
Abbey, Highclere Castle in Berkshire has a rich and fascinating history that goes far
beyond its television fame. Home since 1672 of the Herbert family, later Earls of
Carnarvon, the English Renaissance Revival house seen today was created in the early
19th century by architect Charles Barry Architectural historian Curt DiCamillo will
explore Highclere Castle, linking it to other historic houses, and explaining how the
fictional Downton plotline has unexpected echoes to Highclere's history.
Watch the mail and email for event registration details.
Thursday
January 11, 2015
ESU PLAYERS
6:00 to 9:00 pm at the ESU 144 East 39th St.
When Elwood P. Dowd starts to introduce his imaginary friend Harvey, a six and a half
foot rabbit, to guests at a dinner party, his sister, Veta, has seen as much of his eccentric
behavior as she can tolerate. She decides to have him committed to a sanitarium to spare
her daughter, Myrtle Mae, and their family, from future embarrassment. Problems arise,
however, when Veta herself is mistakenly assumed to be on the fringe of lunacy when
she explains to doctors that years of living with Elwood's hallucination have caused her
to see Harvey also! Free for members and their guests. To RSVP: 212.818.1200 or
newyork@esuus.org.
6 ESU New York Education Programs
October 2015 - April 2016
Middle School Debate Tournaments Dates
Middle School Debate Tournaments for New York City Debate Leagues will take place
on six Saturdays from October through April 2016 at the from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at
various member schools. We invite all ESU members to attend the tournaments. If you
would like to participate as a judge for any of these tournaments (see the dates
below).
Please contact Carol Losos, Director of Education, at closos@esuus.org, for details.
- November 14, 2015
- December 12, 2015
- January 30 or 31, 2016
- March 12, 2016
- April 16, 2016: ESU MSPDP Championship Tournament—East Coast
February– March 2016
NYC Shakespeare Dates
- February 17, 2016
Twelfth Night Teacher Workshop will take place at the NYU Skirball Center
for the Performing Arts.
-February 22-25, 2016
NYC Shakespeare Competition-Preliminaries will take place over the course of three
afternoons in the South Court Auditorium of The New York Public Library
(Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street). All Branch members are welcome to attend and
observe the proceedings.
-March 10, 2016
NYC Shakespeare Competition– Finals will be held in Gilder Lehrman Hall of
The Morgan Library & Museum (225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street).
Please contact Katherine Strobel, at kstrobel@esuus.org for details.
July-August 2016
British Universities Summer School (BUSS) Dates
July 11-August 20, 2016
Scottish Universities' International Summer School at the University of Edinburgh
July 3-August 13, 2016
Oxford University
TBA
Teaching Shakespeare Through Performance at Shakespeare's Globe
New York Branch applications for the Summer 2016 are due March 1, 2016.
For more information, please visit our website https://www.esuus.org/esu/programs/ or
contact Alice Uhl, at auhl@esuus.org.
7 The English-Speaking Union
Education. Scholarship. Understanding.
Membership Form
New York City Branch
SEE THE NEW BENEFITS OF NATIONAL ESU MEMBERSHIP ON THE ENCLOSED FORM. (For the ESU membership year of July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016) Name: Membership ID: Address: Home Phone: City: Cell Phone: State: Zip: Email: You may pay online at www.esuus.org/newyork
BRANCH MEMBERSHIP 

Branch members automa cally become na onal members: $35 of a single membership and $50 of a couple membership being retained by ESU with the balance re‐
turned to your Branch See the enclosed list and descrip on of membership benefits __ Single $85 __ Couple $125 __ Suppor ng Single $125 __ Suppor ng Couple $225 SUBTOTAL $ ___________ OR NATIONAL PATRON MEMBERSHIP 


Na onal Patron Membership includes your Branch membership Up to one half of your contribu on can be designated to support your Branch See the enclosed list of Patron benefits by membership category __ Na onal Donor $300 __ Na onal Sustainer $750 __ Chairman’s Circle $2,500 __ Na onal Sponsor $500 __ President’s Circle $1,000 __ Na onal Fellows $5,000 Please indicate amount of your Na onal Patron contribu on to be designated to your Branch: $________ SUBTOTAL ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTION(S) __Branch General Fund $__________ $___________ SUBTOTAL $ ___________ TOTAL DUE $ ___________ __ I am enclosing a check payable to The English‐Speaking Union for the Total Due. __ Please charge the total due to my credit card: Name on Card _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Card Number ______________________________________________________ Expira on Date ___________________________ __ Enclosed is my employer’s Matching Gi form. ‐OR‐ __ My employer’s automated Matching Gi is in process The English‐Speaking Union of the United States is a 501(c)(3) organiza on. Membership contribu ons are tax deduc ble to the extent permi ed by law. Staff use NLA15: #1 CC________________________ Authoriza on Code ____________________Date ___________________ THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION OF THE UNITED STATES
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144 East 39 Street, New York, NY 10016 ● Tel: 212-818-1200 ● info@esuus.org ● www.esuus.org 8 9 10