Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “A Scandal in Bohemia” (1891) opens with the wonderful line: “To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman.” Irene Adler is the woman who intrigues, entices, and ultimately bests Sherlock Holmes. As such, she appears in many adaptations of Holmes stories—sometimes as a femme fatale, sometimes as Sherlock’s lover (and even the mother of his child!), and sometimes as another detective. In our first session, we’ll discuss the mysterious Irene Adler; how representative is she of women in Sherlock Holmes stories and adaptations, and in detective fiction as a whole? In our second session, gather to debate Kate Hamill’s feminist take on the Sherlock tradition: her play, Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson—Apt 2B. What do you make of her re-interpretation of the legendary Sherlock Holmes and John Watson – a sleuthing duo so beloved that they have been the subject of countless TV and film adaptations and fan fictions? How does Hamill rewrite detective fiction conventions? How does her play enter into conversations about gender roles and the construction of gender more broadly?
Lectures only: Fridays, Feb. 2 and Feb. 9 | 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. | KF Room/Harrison Libraries/Harry Jack Gray Center | $40 | Register Here
Lectures: Fridays, Feb. 2 and Feb. 9 | 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. | KF Room/Harrison Libraries/Harry Jack Gray Center
Performance with Talk Back: Sunday, Feb. 4 | 2 p.m. | Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford
Lectures + Performance: $80 | Register Here
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Faculty and staff are eligible to take one Presidents' College lecture for free every semester, or to receive a one-session discount ($20) for a longer course. Contact Laurie Fasciano at fasciano@hartford.edu or 860.768.4495.