Kakos School of Arts and Sciences
Classic Reading Series
Something wicked this way comes, and this time it is not midterms.
The Classic Readings Series, presented by Manhattan University's Kakos School of Arts and Sciences, celebrates the enduring power of literature through performances by students, faculty and guest readers.
This October, the series takes a delightfully dark turn as the Players, Manhattan University's student theater troupe, bring Shakespeare's Macbeth and a haunting original monologue inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula to life. From sinister prophecies to Gothic suspense, discover why some stories continue to send shivers down our spines.
About the Series
The Classic Readings initiative was created as an edutainment project, part education, part performance, and entirely dedicated to celebrating the art of storytelling.
Featuring works now in the public domain, as well as student and faculty compositions, the series highlights how literature connects generations, disciplines, and ideas.
Our goals are:
- To promote reading and literary appreciation across diverse audiences.
- To showcase the talent of University students and faculty through performance and creative collaboration.
- To foster interdisciplinary connections across writing, theatre, and digital media.
- To build community around shared stories that inspire, challenge, and delight.
October 2026 | Halloween Send-Up
For October, the Classic Readings Series trades quiet reflection for a bubbling cauldron and at least one cape, as members of the Players, Manhattan University’s student theater troupe, bring two of literature’s darkest tales to life.
First, three students perform a reading from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a play about ambition, prophecy and spectacularly poor decision-making. Then a senior biology major delivers an original monologue inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula, a novel about a houseguest who will not leave. Watch if you dare.
Performers:
Macbeth: Sophia Whitmore, sophomore adolescent education major; Grace Coutu, senior childhood education and English major; and Amaya Castillo-Mills, senior sound studies major
Dracula: Nicholas Melendez, senior biology major
Production Credits:
Filming and production by Sam Wofford '26.
Past Readings
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May 2026 | Mai (May) by Guillaume ApollinaireMay 2026 | Mai (May)As May arrives with a sense of movement, renewal, and reflection on campus and beyond, Apollinaire’s poem invites us to consider the passage of time and the emotional currents of the season with fresh attention.
This month’s Classic Reading celebrates the richness of spring through one of Guillaume Apollinaire’s most vivid and lyrical poems. Join Vice President for Student Life Kristell Lowe, MBA as she reads Mai (May) in both French and English, offering a reflective meditation on memory, transition, and the beauty of the changing season.
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April 2026 | April Rain Song by Langston HughesAs April ushers in a season of growth, reflection, and new beginnings—on campus and beyond—Hughes’s poem invites us to slow down and listen to the natural world with fresh attention.
This month’s Classic Reading celebrates the gentle arrival of spring through one of Langston Hughes’s most lyrical and evocative poems. Join Dr. Margaret Groarke as she reads April Rain Song, a vivid meditation on renewal, rhythm, and the sensory beauty of a spring rain.
Reader: Dr. Margaret Groarke
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March 2026 | Dear March—Come In by Emily DickinsonJust in time for March Madness, Dear March—Come In by Emily Dickinson is read by Shawn Ladda, Ph.D., Professor of Kinesiology.
This month’s Classic Reading welcomes the arrival of spring through one of Emily Dickinson’s most imaginative and inviting poems. Join Dr. Shawn Ladda as she reads Dear March—Come In, a playful and reflective work that personifies the month as a long-awaited guest.
Reader: Dr. Shawn Ladda
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February 2026 | Sonnet 116 by William ShakespeareJust in time for Valentine’s Day, Manhattan University’s Classic Readings series presents Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare, read by Brian Chalk, Ph.D., Professor of English.
One of Shakespeare’s most celebrated poems, Sonnet 116 offers a powerful meditation on the nature of true love — steadfast, enduring, and unchanged by time or circumstance. Its language continues to resonate centuries later, reminding readers of love’s depth, strength, and permanence.
Reader: Dr. Brian Chalk
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January 2026 | Ring Out, Wild Bells by TennysonPause and reflect with Ring Out, Wild Bells by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, drawn from his larger elegy In Memoriam. Set on New Year’s Eve, the poem uses the ringing of church bells as a call to moral renewal, urging us to release grief, injustice, and falsehood, and to welcome compassion, truth, and hope in their place.
Both deeply personal and strikingly timely, Tennyson’s words resonate across generations, reminding us that renewal is not passive but intentional.
Reader: Br. Robert Berger
