I Am From San Francisco Upon Pacific

Happy Fourth, Americans.

On Wednesday, we went to Stratford. I guess my camera is done being broken because I had no problems taking pictures.

There were farms

with black sheep

and spliff-smoking ewes.

Flowers

and rain

and more rain.

Keyholes

in heavily latched doors

concealing secret garden parties.

There were crooked tombstones

and menacing pipe organs.

There were knockers,

faces in doors,

long-since carved trusses,

and bottles of wine.

We went to see an amazing production of Midsummer. I could go on forever about it, theater person that I am. But I will limit myself to three comments.

It was a production without pretense. There were no lessons tied to current events nor any themes other than those originally intended. Which is not to say that I don’t enjoy modern twists, just that it is so rare I see a Shakespeare piece acted straight that is concurrently accessible and good. The audience literally roared with laughter. I normally don’t have a taste for overacting, and this was definitely overacted, but it was done so smartly, clearly, precisely, and deliberately that it served to truly convey the meaning of every word spoken. Which is what actors are always striving to do with Shakespeare and, in my humble opinion, rarely ever actually achieving. To boot, the director (a Gregory Doran) must be a genius because the background actions he chose to augment and compliment the text were spot on in almost every instance.

Technically, the show was a lot of fun for me. Titania’s Indian boy was played by a naked puppet, using up to three fairy manipulators at a time. His exaggerated doll-like joints and awe-filled play were completely engrossing. Having worked a show with puppets and knowing the arduous process that is rehearsing them, I was mucho impressed.

The Courtyard Theater is very tall, with three levels of seating and a light op and SM booth on the fourth. As such there is a lot of “sky” to play with. It was filled with a bunch of instruments – specifically bare bulbs with smaller bulbs inside – hanging at different levels that served to shine the starlight. It was so amazing I’ve been unable to sleep the past two nights because I get so excited daydreaming about the endless possibilities.

If you are in Stratford anytime soon (I’m just saying…), go see it.