The Lay Academy of Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church will offer a course on Shakespeare’s “Henry IV” plays led by Davis & Elkins College Professor Emeritus Robert McCutcheon for several weeks this spring.

Over the years, McCutcheon has led classes at the church in major Shakespeare works such as “Hamlet” and “Macbeth.” Although not as well known, the two parts of “Henry IV” are both historic and entirely relevant to our times, in that they explore the necessary qualities of a leader. Equally important, they introduce one of Shakespeare’s timeless characters, Sir John Falstaff, who has stepped off page and stage to lead a life of his own beyond the bounds of English literature.

The course will run for five consecutive Tuesdays (one act per class), March 17-April 14, from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m., in DMPC’s Dunham Room. It is free and open to the public, although a donation to the church’s projects in Kenya is welcome.

The class will concentrate on the first play in the series. As in previous years, the group can travel to Staunton, Virginia, to see it produced at the Blackfriars Theater. The tentative date is Saturday, April 18 for the 2 p.m. matinee.

For additional information, email McCutcheon at mccutcheonr@dewv.edu.