Pericles - A Plastic Skepticism

The Rude Mechanicals - Ellicott City, MD
January 28th, 2012


Brad - A
Chelsea - C+

On very short notice Brad and I found a community theatre that was showing one final performance of Pericles.

So, we loaded up the Honda and heading towards Baltimore. We stopped just short on a very dark road that would take us to the Howard County Community Center. It was awesome. It contained a small art gallery that we wandered through because we are curious monkeys and we found this treasure:

It actually was really great but the title had me cracking up and Brad and I doing some serious soul searching all night

"A Plastic Skepticism", not real skepticism, not metal skepticism but that plastic kind. I sort of loved it and would like to thank Greg for his clever creativity some day!

Ok, on to the show. Here is what Pericles is about: Pericles figures out that the king of his country is having a fling with his daughter and the king encourages him to flee because the king does not love this secret getting out. So, Pericles flees to an island that is crippled by famine. He gives them a bunch of food and the king says he owes him. He then is off again and his ship is wrecked on another island. This time a king is having a tournament and the winner gets his daughter. Obviously, the wicked awesome Pericles wins, marries the daughter, and immediately she is 'with child." He then gets a letter that he needs to return him. His wife gives birth on board the boat home but dies. In classy Shakespearian fashion he throws her overboard and gives his baby daughter to that king he saved from famine because being a single dad is pretty tough. Little does he know his wife lives and his daughter is sold into prostitution (totally believable right?) . Pericles is told his daughter has died so without his wife and daughter he goes into depression and take to the sea! On his journeys he bumps into his grown daughter and together they just happen to run into his dead wife. They are all reunited and live happily ever after!

Here is what was the MOST important part of the night:

The left side pony tail is a man's and the right side is a woman's. It was amazing and I struggled to watch the actual play.

As for the show. It was kind of horribly awesome. The set was a cardboard boat and a wall that they turned around to show a different scene. Each time they needed to turn them a guy went 3,2,1 and they turned. You heard him every time and once one of the guys went the wrong way. It was adorable and awful and we both laughed. The actors were trying so hard and I did laugh out loud multiple times. Sometimes with them some times at them but hey it was a comedy that's what you're supposed to do!

A bunch of people believe Shakespeare didn't write all of this plays. Often people think that half of this play was written by a inferior writer named George Wilkins. So, they acted the play out like there were 2 writers and they were fighting over the plot. It was funny and cute and I was really impressed by their take. All and all for community theatre I really liked it! Afterwords, Brad met up with a lady friend and ditched me

She was well dressed.

Then we just drove until we found a local watering hole for dinner. This is what we stumbled upon:

It is called Loafers and it right next to the Beauty 4 U store. I mean it was classy. The menu was 15 pages long and you could get anything from seafood to spaghetti to steak and there was a DJ playing beats. It was wonderful.

It was fun and I have to say this hobby is taking us on some fun little adventures! Next we get to head to Raleigh, NC for a weekend extravaganza! But, not before the Oscars on the 26th...my favorite day of the year! I hope you have seen The Artist...it is taking home the gold and is just plain amazing!!!

Chels