It. Was. Awesome. And true to form, Sonnet 116 was read during the ceremony.
After we headed for two relaxing weeks to Italy! Mostly we wandered around and watched a lot of West Wing!
But, now we are back in action!! Sorry for the unnecessary delay!
Oh hey, we got married!!
I mean Shakespeare was our main priority, but in the downtime we did plan and execute a wedding.
It. Was. Awesome. And true to form, Sonnet 116 was read during the ceremony.
After we headed for two relaxing weeks to Italy! Mostly we wandered around and watched a lot of West Wing!
But, now we are back in action!! Sorry for the unnecessary delay!
It. Was. Awesome. And true to form, Sonnet 116 was read during the ceremony.
After we headed for two relaxing weeks to Italy! Mostly we wandered around and watched a lot of West Wing!
But, now we are back in action!! Sorry for the unnecessary delay!
Antony and Cleopatra - why ladies rule the world!
Antony & Cleopatra
Little Washington, Virginia
September 15, 2012
Brad - A
Chelsea - B
The week before our wedding we headed 2 hours south to see some Shakespeare. We have priorities. Marriage smarriage, we have 37 in 12 months!! So, we headed out dinner-less and because we are so awesome at showing up 2 minutes before the show starts and being terrified about getting there on time we got a well balanced meal.
Basically, I wish I was as awesomely persuasive as Cleopatra.
Chelsea
Little Washington, Virginia
September 15, 2012
Brad - A
Chelsea - B
The week before our wedding we headed 2 hours south to see some Shakespeare. We have priorities. Marriage smarriage, we have 37 in 12 months!! So, we headed out dinner-less and because we are so awesome at showing up 2 minutes before the show starts and being terrified about getting there on time we got a well balanced meal.
Coffee and dill pickle potato chips!
About the play: Antony, one of Rome's 3 leaders, has been neglecting his Roman duties to shack it up with the Egyptian queen, Cleopatra. He is infatuated and Rome is not so happy about it. The other 2 leaders call Antony back to Rome to help fight Pompey and some pirates. Cleopatra begs Antony not to go but he promises his love and heads out. Because the other 2 leaders are pretty peeved at Antony, it is suggested that Antony marry Octavian's (one of the other leaders) sister to solidify his love for Rome and commitment. He caves and marries her. Cleopatra, whose blood runs Egyptian hot, hears about the marriage. She is so mad and takes her anger out on a messenger. Meanwhile, Antony and the fellas meet with Pompey and try to call a truce. But, the other 2 leaders break the truce and a war breaks out. Antony is not in agreement. He ditches his new wife and heads back to Egypt crowning Cleopatra and himself rulers or Egypt. Octavian is not happy and goes to war with Antony. Cleopatra vows to help him but in the middle of the battle withdraws all of her people. So, losing Antony flees. Cleopatra apologizes and in the next battle she flees from helping Antony again! She is worried Antony will be mad at her so fakes her death (clearly the best decision) and sends word to Antony. Not so successful, instead he tries to kill himself and eventually dies in her arms. Cleopatra, instead of being seen as a villain, poisons herself.
It was like a selfish annoying flighty version of Romeo & Juliet, which was kind of neat. I liked it more than Brad (which is hard to tell since he gives everyone A's) because it was the right amount of you hating the characters. Cleopatra is so selfish and bipolar. She hates him, she loves him, she abandons him, she fakes dead. She is exhausting! He is a love drunk idiot. Vows to kill her for betraying him, then loves her, then hates her. It is an interesting take on love and power. The actors were good. I would like to see this done different ways. Cleopatra is so sexual and intriguing, I bet there are awesome renditions. Funniest/awkwardest/awesomest part was that they choose to use handkerchiefs instead of swords. I mean they owned it. They did entire battles with...handkerchiefs. It was an interesting decision....we giggled.
We also had tons of leg room! Which is a plus and we snuck in candy.
Brad judged me for my candy sneaking.
We also saw a man in a Colonel Sanders bow tie! This was us stalking him and trying to get a casual pic of his tie.
Chelsea
Hamlet: Slings and Arrows
Hamlet
Folger's Shakespeare Theatre - Washington, DC
September 8, 2012
Chelsea - B+
Brad - A
Ahhh, Hamlet. Here is a little Hamlet song to entertain you:
This is one of those plays that everyone assumes everyone knows and understands. After seeing it for the first time, I am hard-pressed to believe that most people even know the basic story, let alone understand it.
Sadly, this was our last play at Folger's Shakespeare Theatre during our Shakespeare escapade. Over the past year, Chelsea and I have come to love this place. All of the shows we've seen there have been great, and the theatre is in a part of town we don't visit often.
And this time we discovered that they have an awesome garden:
Before the show, we thought we would be sophisticated and grab a drink at ye old wine bar a couple of blocks away from the theatre. This place had wine on tap. No kidding.
So, after deep discussions about life, liberty, and the pursuit of self-imposed, arbitrary year-long goals, we made our way across the street to the Folger's to see Hamlet.
Interestingly, Hamlet was put on by a traveling company from the Globe theatre in London. We also ended up going on opening night. The theatre was full of geriatrics and pretense, a perfect venue for two nearly-weds seeing their twenty-ninth Shakespeare play in the past ten months.
So, Hamlet: You know what . . . I am not going to feed into the public's belief that the plot of Hamlet is common knowledge. So, if you want to know the story of Hamlet, you need to read it or go see it or . . . get on Netflix and watch the first season of the Gemini Award Winning (that's a Canadian Emmy) Slings and Arrows. Slings and Arrows is a dram-edy that follows the trials and tribulations of the fictional New Burbage Shakespeare Festival. In the first season, conflicted actor/director Geoffrey Tennant re-invigorates the festival by putting on a stripped down, visceral version of Hamlet. Yes, Chelsea and I watched Season One (and two and most of three).
But I digress...
This performance was great. The actor who played Hamlet was awesome. During most of the play, actors in the background would step into the background of scenes to do sound effects. But unlike Comedy of Errors, they were great. They truly added to the supernatural scenes. Hamlet nailed his monologues. And like Slings and Arrows, it was a stripped down, fast-paced visceral play. The grave diggers scene was awesome (and full of legal jargon). Great play. Great production. Chelsea and I brought down the average age of the audience by about 10 years.
Good bye sweet Folgers.
Brad-let
Folger's Shakespeare Theatre - Washington, DC
September 8, 2012
Chelsea - B+
Brad - A
Ahhh, Hamlet. Here is a little Hamlet song to entertain you:
This is one of those plays that everyone assumes everyone knows and understands. After seeing it for the first time, I am hard-pressed to believe that most people even know the basic story, let alone understand it.
Sadly, this was our last play at Folger's Shakespeare Theatre during our Shakespeare escapade. Over the past year, Chelsea and I have come to love this place. All of the shows we've seen there have been great, and the theatre is in a part of town we don't visit often.
And this time we discovered that they have an awesome garden:
Before the show, we thought we would be sophisticated and grab a drink at ye old wine bar a couple of blocks away from the theatre. This place had wine on tap. No kidding.
Interestingly, Hamlet was put on by a traveling company from the Globe theatre in London. We also ended up going on opening night. The theatre was full of geriatrics and pretense, a perfect venue for two nearly-weds seeing their twenty-ninth Shakespeare play in the past ten months.
So, Hamlet: You know what . . . I am not going to feed into the public's belief that the plot of Hamlet is common knowledge. So, if you want to know the story of Hamlet, you need to read it or go see it or . . . get on Netflix and watch the first season of the Gemini Award Winning (that's a Canadian Emmy) Slings and Arrows. Slings and Arrows is a dram-edy that follows the trials and tribulations of the fictional New Burbage Shakespeare Festival. In the first season, conflicted actor/director Geoffrey Tennant re-invigorates the festival by putting on a stripped down, visceral version of Hamlet. Yes, Chelsea and I watched Season One (and two and most of three).
But I digress...
This performance was great. The actor who played Hamlet was awesome. During most of the play, actors in the background would step into the background of scenes to do sound effects. But unlike Comedy of Errors, they were great. They truly added to the supernatural scenes. Hamlet nailed his monologues. And like Slings and Arrows, it was a stripped down, fast-paced visceral play. The grave diggers scene was awesome (and full of legal jargon). Great play. Great production. Chelsea and I brought down the average age of the audience by about 10 years.
Good bye sweet Folgers.
Brad-let
Coriolanus...in a Parking Lot.
Coriolanus
New York City - Lower East Side
August 11, 2012
Brad - A
Chelsea - A
After Jersey we headed into the big city! Luckily, we got to spend a couple of hours visiting with these 2 awesome people - and yes, I chose this pic because you are petting a cheetah!!
After that we subway'ed like true New Yorkers to Shakespeare in the Park...ing lot. It truly was in a working parking lot. Multiple times during the production cars parked directly behind the stage. One guy actually changed shirts, I watched his shirtless body...it was awkward.
Story! Coriolanus is...awesome. He is a soldier who comes home to Rome where there are strikes because of a grain shortage. He is celebrated from a victory against the Volscian army. His mother convinces him to run for political office, although he is purely a soldier at heart, he agrees to appease his mother. He wins the support of the Senate and the commoners until two of the senators, Brutus and Sicinius, conspire to get public support against Coriolanus. He gets so mad that he rails on the public and politics, gets banished from Rome, and decided to join up with the Volscian army to take down Rome. Rome freaks out and tried to dissuade Coriolanus from taken them down. After talking with this mother and wife, he takes pity and arranges a peace treaty between Rome and the Volscains. When he returns to the Volscains, they kill him for being a traitor.
So sad! We really liked this! It was set in modern times with the occupy movement and it fit really perfectly. It was in a parking lot...literally, we sat on a blanket but the actors were legit! They all were really great!!! The actor playing Coriolanus was amazing. He was young and played a strong military guy so well. You felt for him and agreed with him. He was just a good guy trying to do the right thing and his death was really sad. It was also awesome to see such a unique setting with such good actors for free! I mean at one point in time he climbed a sign and they told you to go to McDonald's to use bathrooms. It was straight up great!
Whirlwind NY trip, ROCKED!!!
Chelsea
New York City - Lower East Side
August 11, 2012
Brad - A
Chelsea - A
After Jersey we headed into the big city! Luckily, we got to spend a couple of hours visiting with these 2 awesome people - and yes, I chose this pic because you are petting a cheetah!!
Story! Coriolanus is...awesome. He is a soldier who comes home to Rome where there are strikes because of a grain shortage. He is celebrated from a victory against the Volscian army. His mother convinces him to run for political office, although he is purely a soldier at heart, he agrees to appease his mother. He wins the support of the Senate and the commoners until two of the senators, Brutus and Sicinius, conspire to get public support against Coriolanus. He gets so mad that he rails on the public and politics, gets banished from Rome, and decided to join up with the Volscian army to take down Rome. Rome freaks out and tried to dissuade Coriolanus from taken them down. After talking with this mother and wife, he takes pity and arranges a peace treaty between Rome and the Volscains. When he returns to the Volscains, they kill him for being a traitor.
So sad! We really liked this! It was set in modern times with the occupy movement and it fit really perfectly. It was in a parking lot...literally, we sat on a blanket but the actors were legit! They all were really great!!! The actor playing Coriolanus was amazing. He was young and played a strong military guy so well. You felt for him and agreed with him. He was just a good guy trying to do the right thing and his death was really sad. It was also awesome to see such a unique setting with such good actors for free! I mean at one point in time he climbed a sign and they told you to go to McDonald's to use bathrooms. It was straight up great!
We finally made it home at around 3AM so, the next day Brad looked a lot like this:
Whirlwind NY trip, ROCKED!!!
Chelsea
Measure for Measure....Jersey Style (no male tanktops were spotted though)
Measure for Measure
New Jersey Shakespeare Theatre - Drew University
August 11, 2012
Brad - A
Chelsea - C
So, on an early August Saturday we woke up bright and early and headed up to the best the U.S. has to offer...New Jersey! This was a double decker day. We had Measure for Measure in the morning and then Coriolanus in NYC in the evening. So, when we made it into Madison, NJ we stopped for a hearty lunch and I was introduced to an "Egg Cream." This exists! I'm confused, what is this? Why do you drink an egg?
It was good! It was straight forward Elizabethan and the actors were really good, I wouldn't say it was my favorite play though. Let's look at Angelo, he was betrothed to a lady, said no because she was poor, got tricked into hooking up with her, and then was forced to marry her....WHAT IS WRONG WITH HER? Does Shakespeare understand the lady mind? At every turn he rejected her and she was psyched to marry him. I just don't get it. But, we did like it. I guess it just didn't wow us (but not everything can be Titus Andronicus). The Duke was great, although how can he and Superman really fool people by changing his clothes and putting on glasses? As was Isabella. It was a good start to the morning!
Then....we headed into NYC!
Chelsea
New Jersey Shakespeare Theatre - Drew University
August 11, 2012
Brad - A
Chelsea - C
So, on an early August Saturday we woke up bright and early and headed up to the best the U.S. has to offer...New Jersey! This was a double decker day. We had Measure for Measure in the morning and then Coriolanus in NYC in the evening. So, when we made it into Madison, NJ we stopped for a hearty lunch and I was introduced to an "Egg Cream." This exists! I'm confused, what is this? Why do you drink an egg?
Then we headed to the theatre! We took some pics outside because I was trying to get a shot of the cliental...let's just say we brought the median age down 20 years.
So, the story! It starts with the Duke announcing he will leave on a diplomatic mission....SIKE! He secretly stays in the city disguised as a friar to see what's happening in the city while he is away. Meanwhile, an adorable young man named Claudio is unofficially married to Juliet. Since they were poor they couldn't afford the technicalities but come on, they were married! Angelo, the mean judge the Duke left in charge gets wind of this and says since they aren't married fornication is punishable so sentences Claudio to death! Claudio's sister, Isabella, a young nun runs to Angelo to plead for her brother. Angelo gets a bit touchy feely with Isabella and offers her a deal. He will spare her brother if she hooks up with him. Isabella, being a classy nun, won't do it. She seeks counsel from a friar (The Duke!) and he sets a plan. He has Isabella arrange a "bed trick" (Shakespeare loves these, I would like to see this work out in modern times) where Isabelle says she will meet him in her room in darkness and silence for The Deed. Instead, a woman he was betrothed to - but she couldn't pay the dowry so he kicked her to the curb - is in the bed and well you know. So, Angelo thinks he hooked up with Isabella and he still goes back on his word and sentences Claudio to death! It all ends with the Duke revealing himself and setting everyone straight, saving Claudio, forcing Angelo to marry the woman who tricked him, and proposing to Isabella -aw!
It was good! It was straight forward Elizabethan and the actors were really good, I wouldn't say it was my favorite play though. Let's look at Angelo, he was betrothed to a lady, said no because she was poor, got tricked into hooking up with her, and then was forced to marry her....WHAT IS WRONG WITH HER? Does Shakespeare understand the lady mind? At every turn he rejected her and she was psyched to marry him. I just don't get it. But, we did like it. I guess it just didn't wow us (but not everything can be Titus Andronicus). The Duke was great, although how can he and Superman really fool people by changing his clothes and putting on glasses? As was Isabella. It was a good start to the morning!
Then....we headed into NYC!
Chelsea
Comedy of Errors: I love Skittles
Comedy of Errors
Annapolis Shakespeare Company - Bowie, Maryland
August 9, 2012
Chelsea - !?!
Brad - B
I've always loved skittles. They are a delicious candy. As a kid, my Poppy would take me to the bean-bean store and treat me to a bag of skittles. Those days were the best. What do skittles have to do with the Comedy of Errors? Well, the skittles Chelsea and I got at intermission were the best part of this production.
The Play: Antipholus of Ephesus and Dromio of Ephesus arrive in Syracuse. Dromio is Antipholus's servant. Unbeknownst to them, Syracuse is home to Antipholus of Syracuse and Dromio of Syracuse. The two Antipholi and the two Dromios are actually two sets of identical twins separated at birth! So, now you've got two sets of people that look identical wandering around the same small city, a city who thinks there is only one Antipholus and one Dromio. So, throughout the course of the play, merchants, wives, and mistresses all assume they are talking to Antipholus of Syracuse when they are actually talking to Antipholus of Ephesus. At the end of the play, it turns out Antipholi's parents are also both in Syracuse. The last scene is one huge family reunion. Very sweet.
The Production: The director made the choice to make this a slapstick comedy. So, there was a lot of physical humor --- slapping, kicking, nose-honking, etc. And every time --- every time --- one character hit another character --- which happened seemingly three times a minute --- a woman sitting on stage would honk a horn. And every time --- every time --- one character kicked another character --- which happened seemingly three times a minute --- a woman sitting on stage would ring a bell. So, every time there was physical humor, there was a corresponding sound effect. FOR TWO COMPLETE HOURS! In addition, there was time travel --- which was never fully explained --- Rocky Horror Picture Show-esque costumes, and dance numbers.
In the brief moments between slaps and sound effects, some of the actors did a good job.
This was the first production we've seriously considered leaving at intermission. And that is saying something considering we've seen some rough shows. Mama said, "if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything." With that in mind the nicest thing I can say about this production is, man, those skittles were good!
Brad of Ephesus
Annapolis Shakespeare Company - Bowie, Maryland
August 9, 2012
Chelsea - !?!
Brad - B
I've always loved skittles. They are a delicious candy. As a kid, my Poppy would take me to the bean-bean store and treat me to a bag of skittles. Those days were the best. What do skittles have to do with the Comedy of Errors? Well, the skittles Chelsea and I got at intermission were the best part of this production.
The Play: Antipholus of Ephesus and Dromio of Ephesus arrive in Syracuse. Dromio is Antipholus's servant. Unbeknownst to them, Syracuse is home to Antipholus of Syracuse and Dromio of Syracuse. The two Antipholi and the two Dromios are actually two sets of identical twins separated at birth! So, now you've got two sets of people that look identical wandering around the same small city, a city who thinks there is only one Antipholus and one Dromio. So, throughout the course of the play, merchants, wives, and mistresses all assume they are talking to Antipholus of Syracuse when they are actually talking to Antipholus of Ephesus. At the end of the play, it turns out Antipholi's parents are also both in Syracuse. The last scene is one huge family reunion. Very sweet.
The Production: The director made the choice to make this a slapstick comedy. So, there was a lot of physical humor --- slapping, kicking, nose-honking, etc. And every time --- every time --- one character hit another character --- which happened seemingly three times a minute --- a woman sitting on stage would honk a horn. And every time --- every time --- one character kicked another character --- which happened seemingly three times a minute --- a woman sitting on stage would ring a bell. So, every time there was physical humor, there was a corresponding sound effect. FOR TWO COMPLETE HOURS! In addition, there was time travel --- which was never fully explained --- Rocky Horror Picture Show-esque costumes, and dance numbers.
In the brief moments between slaps and sound effects, some of the actors did a good job.
This was the first production we've seriously considered leaving at intermission. And that is saying something considering we've seen some rough shows. Mama said, "if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything." With that in mind the nicest thing I can say about this production is, man, those skittles were good!
Brad of Ephesus
Seriously????
Can you just take a hot second to look to the right on this blog. We have seen TWENTY NINE plays in 10 month. I know this is embarrassing but heck yeah we rock!!! Also, we are behind on the posts but we're working on it.
Right now I feel like this:
Yeah!!
Right now I feel like this:
Yeah!!
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