Geoffrey Chaucer, a poet and raconteur who plied his trade in the politically fraught London of the late 14th century, is now regarded by scholars as the father of English literature. His unfinished work The Canterbury Tales is a dreaded but frequent college assignment six centuries later - yet the average college graduate couldn't recite a line of Chaucer's verse if their life depended on it. Shakespeare has his "to be or not to be" speech, his "what's in a name" and his "kingdom for a horse," but Chaucer enjoys no such ubiquitous renown.

At least that's how the guy was portrayed when John Pratt, a Chaucer scholar since undergraduate classes, later an English professor at Centralia College, toured the Globe Theatre in London seven years ago. The tour's guide praised the Bard of Avon, of course, but he did so by drawing an unflattering comparison with Chaucer. Pratt returned home and immediately began work on a play meant to refocus popular attention on the earlier poet. The result was A Lollard in the Wind, subtitled Chaucer's Dilemma. The dilemma in this case, explains Pratt, is "staying alive." Chaucer came of age at a time when the possibility of religious reform divided England. In 1381, John Wycliffe was ousted from Oxford for questioning the Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist. Wycliffe's movement, called "Lollardry," was denounced by the Church, but there were authorities who inferred sympathy for - and even affiliation with - Lollards in Chaucer's writings.

"I think he could see the writing on the wall," said Pratt. "His problem was how to write, how to create something and avoid the danger he was in. There was so much going on that could destroy him."

Olympia Little Theatre will offer A Lollard in the Wind as a staged reading for this weekend only. The production is codirected by Christopher Valcho, who also plays Chaucer himself. "Valcho is handling most of the technical aspects," explained Pratt. "I'm the director of the actors." The play finds Chaucer interacting with three figures he respects: an old friend played by Jim Patrick, son Thomas (Austin Houston) and a church official (Tom Riedlinger). All attempt to guide Chaucer back to safety, but he defends himself by relating vignettes from his work-in-progress, The Canterbury Tales, all of which are acted out by the production's talented ensemble.

Pratt says, "I think (Chaucer) was serious about becoming a well-rounded poet, writing in English but informed by the French and Italian poets ... He liked jokes. He appreciated romance ... but I have a hunch he was an unforgiving person to work with. I do think he was interested in church reform." How dangerous a position was that, exactly? Suffice it to say Chaucer died of unknown causes, and there are those who accuse his political opponents.

A Lollard in the Wind or Chaucer's Dilemma, 7:25 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Jan. 13-14; 1:55 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, Olympia Little Theatre, 1925 Miller Ave., Olympia, $5-$7, 360.786.9484, olympialittletheatre.org