I find myself all this week and next at the EWTN studios in Birmingham, Alabama, filming a thirteen-part series on “The Quest for Shakespeare” and a one-hour special on Tolkien. It’s very exciting! We have a team of nine actors and actresses from the Theater of the Word Incorporated, a Catholic theater company under the directorship of the inimitable and irrepressible Kevin O’Brien. The acting of scenes from The Merchant of Venice, King Lear and Hamlet has been truly inspirational. What a wealth of talent Kevin has at his disposal, and what a blessing that this talent has been made available for the Shakespeare series.

The series itself is the second series investigating evidence for Shakespeare’s Catholicism. The first series, which we filmed last year, is being broadcast on EWTN next month. Keep an eye on the schedule for exact times. The first series is based on my book, The Quest for Shakespeare, and the new series, currently being filmed, is based on my follow-up book, which I have not yet finished writing.

I was also thrilled to be a guest on Father Mitch Pacwa’s show on “EWTN Live” last night. What a great interviewer he is, and what great fun we had! Next week, I will be filming two episodes of Bookmark with Doug Keck, and filming much of the Tolkien special on location at the shirne of the Francisan Sisters of the Eternal Word in Hanceville.

Needless to say, these various opportunities to evangelize our ailing culture have come as a great blessing and joy.