There is nothing ironic about show choir.
Last night, I saw my first Stratford play of the season, The Winter's Tale. I knew very little about this play going in except that it had an impressive cast and possibly the most famous stage direction in history. I was saddened to discover that the guy who exits pursued by a bear is a nice character, and does get eaten offstage. The "bear" in this production looked more like some skeletal monster than a grizzly, which was cool in its way but didn't make it any more fun.
As for the rest... not my favourite play in the canon, although it has its moments, and Paulina is definitely one of the best roles for women. Glad they gave it to Seana McKenna. I have few complaints about the production except that they need to work on the lighting for Time when he flies, as the apparatus was even more visible than necessary. Time flying away was followed by an odd crash backstage, then clinking; I'm very curious what they kept doing back there. The actors were all good, as expected; Tom Rooney, in particular, continues to be awesome. I may have to try out his nobleman's walk in future.
A highlight of the night, however, came before the play. We went to dinner at a little restaurant near the theatre, and shortly after we sat down, one of the lead actors (Ben Carlson) walked in and sat at a table nearby (of course, he couldn't not be nearby, the restaurant is approx. 6 feet wide). These are the moments when a Twitter account would be handy, so I could pass on exciting news to the world, such as "Ben Carlson's using a Mother Goose salt shaker". The good news is, my cousin actually spoke to him when he was on his way out (yes, we hold up actors from getting to the theatre to get ready). The bad news is, next time it's my turn to speak to any fun actors we run into.
As for the rest... not my favourite play in the canon, although it has its moments, and Paulina is definitely one of the best roles for women. Glad they gave it to Seana McKenna. I have few complaints about the production except that they need to work on the lighting for Time when he flies, as the apparatus was even more visible than necessary. Time flying away was followed by an odd crash backstage, then clinking; I'm very curious what they kept doing back there. The actors were all good, as expected; Tom Rooney, in particular, continues to be awesome. I may have to try out his nobleman's walk in future.
A highlight of the night, however, came before the play. We went to dinner at a little restaurant near the theatre, and shortly after we sat down, one of the lead actors (Ben Carlson) walked in and sat at a table nearby (of course, he couldn't not be nearby, the restaurant is approx. 6 feet wide). These are the moments when a Twitter account would be handy, so I could pass on exciting news to the world, such as "Ben Carlson's using a Mother Goose salt shaker". The good news is, my cousin actually spoke to him when he was on his way out (yes, we hold up actors from getting to the theatre to get ready). The bad news is, next time it's my turn to speak to any fun actors we run into.