Friday Night Shakespeare

My current favorite quote is "it is better to be ridiculous than boring" and this fit in well with my first live Shakespeare experience tonight. My aunt Lisa is a member of the Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga Canyon and I saw her perform The Merry Wive of Windsor. My previous opinion of Shakespeare only came from high school English class and I remember hating life while listening to a tape recording of Macbeth. The Merry Wives of Windsor was totally the opposite. It is a comedy and I had no idea Shakespeare could be so funny.

The play was held at a really cool open air theater. It is tucked in a canyon and the actors run around the stage area that has trees and bridges and all kinds of interesting scenery. It was a warm evening, perfect for the outdoor show.

I was not familiar with the story before the show started and when everyone started speaking in Shakespearian English I was worried I was going to be lost the entire play. After a while, of paying close attention (and the help of some very talented actors) I knew what was going on! I was impressed with myself. My Uncle Don, Grandma Audrey, and I really enjoy the show and we were roaring with laughter throughout the entire performance. There was this one guy who was playing a French doctor and his accent was off the wall funny. Every time he opened his mouth I couldn't help but laugh. I feel like Shakespeare must have had something against the French because he created this character to be so laughable that the character had to have some satire behind it. The actor made it really believable.

My aunt Lisa was fantastic. She played one of the wives of Windsor who ganged up with one of her girlfriends to play a trick on an "admirer" and her husband. Lisa is really animated and I could tell she was having fun on stage. I wish I could have taken a picture of her because she was wearing a huge hoop skirt so you couldn't see her feet, and she looked like she was floating around the stage.

Who knew Shakespeare plays could be so cool? After tonight I feel like I cheated myself because I only read Shakespeare Made Easy, where one page had the actual language, and the other had a modern translation. I kept pretending I was at the Globe theater in London and I felt the passion behind the acting like the play is actually supposed to be appreciated. I am totally willing to go to another performance if anyone wants to join!