Hawthorne, Nathaniel

Pregnant as the result of an adulterous affair, Hester Prynne pays for her sin publicly while her unnamed lover wrestles with his conscience in private. But Hester transforms her shameful badge—the letter A sewn from red cloth—into a gorgeous emblem of honor as she earns both spiritual redemption and the respect of her Puritan peers. This production of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic The Scarlet Letter was called “A completely faithful, totally fascinating dramatization” by the Los Angeles Times. With Meg Foster as Hester Prynne, John Heard as Reverend Dimmesdale, and Kevin Conway as Roger Chillingworth. (4 hours)

Was there evil lurking in the gloomy New England woods the night that young Goodman Brown went on his secret errand? Or did he bring the evil with him, locked within his own heart? This program features an outstanding adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic tale—shot on location in historic Salem—that deftly captures the story’s mystery and menace. In addition, a discussion of the life of Hawthorne and the Salem witch trials provides the historical context for this dark gem of American fiction. (43 minutes)