Another great season of OLLI programs: Don't miss Arthur Miller's haunting play

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Eckerd College is such an extraordinary asset to our community. It's an educational program designed for people 50 and older and is open to all adult learners. Each year OLLI provides an astonishing array of intellectually stimulating classes, groups, local and international trips, and special events for our community. You owe it to yourself to participate. You can download a PDF of the Fall Catalog.

We'll discuss some of the other offerings later but here's a stunning program you won't want to miss, and we're excited to tell you about it. On Friday, September 30, as part of the OLLI at the Theatre series, an outstanding recording of the UK's National Theatre production of Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge will be presented in the Miller Auditorium.

Arthur Miller's powerful play is set in Brooklyn in the 1950s and deals with the family of longshoreman Eddie Carbone, who harbors his illegal immigrant Sicilian cousins in his home. It's a story as topical today as in the decade in which it was set. Conflict arises when one of the cousins falls for Eddie's beautiful niece. The NT production stars Mark Strong, who was so memorable in The Imitation Game and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. It won a best director award for Ivo van Hove.

At the top of this page, we've included a trailer for the NT Live production (the same one we'll see at the OLLI presentation. Also on this page is a BBC interview with Strong that we thought would provide more insight into the production.

Oh, we almost forgot to mention that on the preceding Wednesday, September 26, as part of the Theatre Talk Series, Julie Empric will give a talk, Justice and the Immigrant in America: An Enduring Challenge at 10:30 a.m. in the Eckerd College CED Spoonbill Room.  Julie teaches literature at Eckerd College. The cost is $10 for members and $25 for non-members, another illustration of why becoming a member is helpful.

Director Monica Kile and her staff have put together a dizzying array of offerings for the Fall -- from art to zydeco, as they say in the catalog. The Autumn schedule runs from September through December, so we're coming upon it rapidly. That's why we wanted to get this out there so you can plan to attend these amazing programs.

Most programs are during the week and during the day, making them accessible for retirees or those with flexible schedules. However, some offerings are in the evenings or on weekends. As we mentioned above, some programs are open to the public but OLLI members receive significant discounts so it's advantageous to become a member. Visit the OLLI website to learn more.