Bozeman Magazine

Caserio presents a high-energy, audience-interactive performance in Anglo-Saxon of the epic, Old-English poem Beowulf, accompanied by Parker Brown on the acoustic bass. Beowulf tells the story of Grendel’s depredations upon the Kingdom of Heorot and the warrior Beowulf’s struggle to defeat him. Caserio’s performance opens a window into the larger story of this literary classic, bringing to life the journey, quest and courage of a hero, the epic’s timeless themes of loyalty and treachery and moral heroism, and our unconscious fears of the dark and the unknown. A foundational poem of English that is both contemporary and ancient, Beowulf is a bridge to the older flow, the deeper root and memory of our common language. The performance offers the magic, wonder, and power of language and story. This dramatic excerpt is followed by an open-ended discussion of the material and the contemporary, literary, folkloric or historical questions that it invokes. Wonderlust programs at the Belgrade Community Library are free and open to the public thanks to sponsorship by First Interstate Bank.