Actor Kevin Radaker brings Henry David Thoreau to life.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The famous philosopher/author Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) will visit Lock Haven University's PUB MultiPurpose Room on April 22 at 7:00 p.m. through the dramatic skills of experienced scholar-actor Kevin Radaker. The presentation, which is made possible by a grant from the English Department, is free and open to the public.

Radaker will present the provocative spirit and words of Henry David Thoreau a dramatic monologue set in 1860, when America was poised upon the brink of the Civil War. Thoreau is famous as America's mid-nineteenth-century apostle of the wilderness, social critic, and political thinker.

Immediately after the 45-minute dramatic monologue, Radaker, while still in character as Thoreau, will answer questions from the audience for 15-20 minutes. Then Radaker will answer questions as himself, a Thoreau scholar, for another 15-20 minutes.

Considered one of the greatest writers in American literature, Henry David Thoreau is best known for his book “Walden” (1854) and his essay "Civil Disobedience" (1849), which inspired Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. during this past century. During his lifetime, Thoreau celebrated the sanctity of nature; spoke eloquently on the pitfalls of conformity, materialism, and technological advancement; and urged the individual to follow the dictates of his conscience rather than the law when convinced that a law was unjust.

Dr. Robert Myers, chair of the Department of English, said "Thoreau is one of the most interesting figures of the 19th century, and this is a wonderful opportunity to get a sense of what he was like as a person. We're especially excited that he is coming on Earth Day since Thoreau is so closely associated with the beginnings of the environmental movement in America." "I've known Kevin since graduate school, and he really does bring Thoreau to life!" he added.

Radaker is professor of English and chair of the English department at Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana. Besides publishing several articles on Thoreau in academic journals and delivering numerous papers, Radaker has presented his “Thoreau” over 300 times throughout the United States since 1991. In addition to performing at libraries, colleges, universities, state and national parks, he has been a part of summer Chautauqua tours in the Great Plains states (1991, ’92, ’93), Illinois and Missouri (1997, 98), Massachusetts (1998), the Carolinas and New Hampshire (2001), Oklahoma (2003), Maryland (2004), Ohio and Colorado (2008).

Any questions about the performance should be directed to Dr. Robert Myers, 570-894-2236 or rmyers3@lhup.edu. Radaker's website is: http://thoreaulive.com/_wsn/page3.html.