“Elegy for an Icon,” a solo play featuring author Nicholas Checker, will explore the role of John Mason in the Pequot War of 1637.

The play, which Checker received an arts grant from the state to develop and perform, will be shown at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, in the Community Room of the New London Public Library.

“Elegy for an Icon” premiered years ago at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. Checker adapted his play into a solo-performer format as part of the arts grant.

Major John Mason’s role in the Pequot War of 1637 that decimated the Pequot Tribe has been controversial for decades. It set the tone for how American colonists would deal with American Natives thereafter, and Checker felt the need to resurrect the piece by adapting it in this manner and performing it in future venues as well.

The play itself has been lauded by leading scholars and historians of all factions — in particular, Dr. Kevin McBride of the University of Connecticut — for its credible sense of reflecting history responsibly. The solo-performer adaptation being presented is designed to offer a dynamic reliving of a defining moment in our early history.

The event is FREE to attend, but donations will be gratefully accepted for future events to be hosted by the New London Public Library. For further info on the event itself, call the author at 860-444-8711.