The At Ease with Opera series returns to the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St., in August with two programs focusing on the Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s September production of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca.

Tosca is one of Puccini’s most popular operas, ranking eighth on Opera America’s 2008 list of the 20 most-performed operas in North America.

Set in Rome during the Napoleonic Wars, Puccini’s dramatic music helps tell the story of a political game of cat-and-mouse.

The programs, presented by the Kansas City Lyric Opera Guild, will be held on Monday, August 17, and Monday, August 31 at 7 p.m. and are intended to highlight the musical, literary, and historical underpinnings of Tosca.

Founded in 1961, the Lyric Opera Guild is the principal support organization for the Lyric Opera and continues to offer a variety of activities and programs.