James Thomas writes: “We just finished staging Cato, George Washington’s favorite play, to make it available to a general audience. It’s about the last day of democracy in Rome—before Rome becomes an empire. With epic heroes, scheming villains, sword duels, love triangles, and a pro-democracy message, it’s easy to see why Cato was the most popular play in America before the revolution. George Washington famously staged it at Valley Forge. Benjamin Franklin so admired the work, he practiced writing it down from memory. It’s been a wonder to submerge in making ‘America’s Founding Drama’ and I find myself using lines from the play in everyday conversation. If anyone knows of venues that might be interested in projecting it, please let me know. Cato stands outside all the partisan divides so it’s timely now as it speaks to our unifying democratic core. It also makes a great read. Oxford University is coming out with a new annotated edition.”
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Class of 1988