Beowulf is the oldest surviving long poem in Old English, written by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet between the 8th and 11th centuries. Beowulf is a hero who comes to aid Hrothgar, King of the Danes, in his fight against the vicious monster Grendel. Before the tale is over, Beowulf fights and defeats Grendel, Grendel’s mother, becomes king of the Geats, and vanquishes a dragon. And that’s not all . . .

Marcus Kyd adapted the 3,182 lines of the saga into a 90-minute tale told in a barroom, following Beowulf’s adventures with a bit of other stories along with it. He performed the adaptation with the Taffety Punk Theatre Company at the Capitol Arts Workshop in February, and that production won a 2026 Helen Hayes nomination for Outstanding New Play or Adaptation. Join us to hear Marcus Kyd discuss his work to turn the saga into a 90-minute drama and hear a bit of the retelling.