Will Shakespeare, Living Statue
Last night we saw Oregon Shakespeare Festival”s production of “Julius Caesar” in which Caesar is played by an actress. In order to make that work, the director chose to eliminate the role of Octavia (Caesar’s wife), giving her lines to Mark Anthony. And other things.
Maybe I could have wrapped my head around that, but there were also actresses portraying soldiers — women who were so tiny in stature that they seemed ludicrous in their roles. As ready as I was to accept the director’s contemporary choices for Shakespeare’s play, I found I could not. I could not lose myself in the action or in the words; I was flummoxed by the casting.
It was a fitting ending to a frustrating day. First, it was Nyel’s birthday and although we had said that the trip to Ashland would suffice, it did not. I didn’t even have a card for him and I felt badly. Then, I lost my purse and we had several tense hours before it was turned into the Lost and Found. Finally, we treated ourselves to what should have been an exellent meal at a very spendy restaurant but Nyel’s steak came ‘well’ instead of ‘rare.’
All-in-all, it was a birthday to remember — but not in a good way. Once again we both had the thought, “There’s no place like home… especially if it’s Oysterville.”
What a dissapointment, Sydney! Glad your purse was returned. We had a similar incident with Dave’s wallet and the Puyallup Fair one year when he’d gone and purchased scones for our whole family. It’s nice to know there are still honest folks everywhere.
Happy Birthday to Nyel – Oysterville awaits!
Ah, home, you are sooooo sweet! We are having similar feelings each time we leave, if only for a few days. Upon return, home stretches her arms to welcome us into her bosom! What a birthday to forget, Nyel, UNLESS, one can accentuate all of the grand and full of good stuff birthdays (and a tractor) as a balance. We will bring belated greetings…
Happy Birthday Nyel! Sounds like the director lost the plot…quite literally! They say that “home is where the heart is” and real home is where the laundry needs to done, the dishes need to emptied from the washer, the weeds need to be pulled and the messages on the machine need to be returned…enjoy your time away!
Hope you have a good trip home–the sun’s out.