So my city has a pretty awesome community theater group and every year they do a production of Shakespeare in an amphitheater in one of the city's prettiest parks. Last year's Hamlet was incredible, and I have high hopes for Othello, which I'm going to see tonight.
I don't think it will be a huge surprise for me to reveal here that I love Shakespeare. He's clever and accessible and I'm one of the few people who actually enjoy reading his plays. My favorite is Twelfth Night, which I wrote my final paper on in my undergrad years and which I will use for my thesis if/when I finish my Master's degree (which, for various reasons, is half-finished and stalled. I haven't talked about that on this joint, have I?). I love seeing his work performed even more than reading it. Seriously, every year when RCP announce their new line-up, I hope really hard it'll be Twelfth Night. (Their history page says they have performed it thrice: in the 1935-1936 season, in the 1994-1995 season, and most recently in the 1999-2000 season. I really hope they don't have another sixty-year break from it.)
Now. For me, as you might imagine, watching a play outdoors is a challenge. It's late enough in the evening that it isn't too hot, but it's perfect time for mosquitoes, and as the dew starts to settle it gets chilly. So this year, I'm planning ahead. I'm bringing a tote bag with bugspray, a sweatshirt, wine in a water bottle, and some mindless knitting that's easy enough to be able to do in low light.
I have fully accepted that I will be indistinguishable from the old ladies who go to these things, except that I'll be wearing high-top Converse sneakers instead of orthopedic sandals with pantyhose.
Which play is your favorite, Shakespeare or otherwise? What am I forgetting to pack?
What a coincidence. A couple of nights ago, I picked up my huge book of Shakespeare's complete works and I started reading Twelfth Night. I'm such a nerd, but I love looking over the passages that I highlighted when I was in college.
ReplyDeleteI usually don't write in my books, because - and I'm going to sound like a total tool here - I don't like to be limited to the same thoughts each time I read a book.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm reading for a class, I take notes while I'm reading in a separate notebook. Otherwise, I'm just like, "Oh yeah, Malvolio's stockings indicate X!" instead of picking up on something new. I realize this makes me a giant nerd.