Last week Minh and I did something we've never done before. We attended a local performance of As You Like It, starring two of our good friends. Having never attended anything like this, we were not entirely sure what to expect. But a friend who's hubby was in the play gave us some pointers. Accordingly, we arrived armed with bug spray and sweatshirts.
The performance was held outdoors and spanned the lovely (if buggy) time of day from pre-sunset to just-after-dark. At intermission they sold brownie sundaes and soft drinks. This was also a good time to visit the "bug spray bar" they had set up with about 6 different kinds of insect repellent.
Throughout the performance, we could hear the cows in the nearby field mooing their hearts out. Minh thought that it was quite possible that there were cows mooing nearby The Globe Theater so we felt that this lent an authenticity to the performance. The two C-5As that flew overhead, however, detracted from the Old World Shakespearean feel of the evening.
After an initial 3 or 4 minutes of having no idea what anyone was saying and fearing I'd be lost the entire time, I managed to catch on to the Shakespeare Speak and was soon immersed in the storyline. I'm pretty sure this was entirely due to the actors timing, tone, and facial expressions and not at all a result of my high school English classes.
On the way home, Minh and I had an animated discussion about the play and the actors and which character I'd play*. Not that I'm an aspiring actor, that's just something I do. When I see a play, I decide which role I'd choose for myself. Doesn't everyone do that? During this discussion I commented that this outing was the most fun I've had in a long time. To which Minh replied, "That's pretty sad."
*For the record, I'd be Phebe.
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