Words, Words, Words, Words

So last night I had this dream that I met slammerkinbabe and went to her apartment, and to get into her apartment you had to climb up this metal ladder and then slide through this tiny hole. And her girlfriend was there, and she had red hair, and they had three cats. And when I woke up, my first thought was "Oh, I can't wait to tell her about this dream because she will think it is brilliant," but then I woke up more and realised it was a really stupid dream.

Yesterday Charlie and his dad went to my in-laws without me, as I was having a 'girl's night' with my friends. They went to this place called "Zerns" which is this farmer's market/swap meet/flea market type place. This place has this huge candy store full of all kinds of sugary treats. My father-in-law told Charlie he could pick out anything he wanted and he would get it for him, because that's what grandfathers do. They were looking at the candy, waiting for Charlie to make his selection, when they realised he was no longer with them. He'd found what he wanted at a different stand nearby. It was a watermelon.

I had a committee meeting today for the Collingwood Shakespeare Company to discuss fundraising ideas. We are going to try to do 'Basket Bingo' where we will create these lovely baskets full of stuff that hopefully people will want to come play bingo to try and win. And we're going to try and have some event nights at one or both of the coffee houses in town - a movie night, for example, where we would get 10% of the proceeds and a 'Open Mike Shakespeare night' where people can come recite things. Not sure about the second one, but it could work.

In case you were wondering, the way cool director has agreed to do our play, and he also took the suggestion that was mine (she said modestly) to take this other candidate on as assistant director.

His name is Dennis, he's fairly young - mid to late 20's I'd say, and has done directing but never directed Shakespeare. But he was very enthusastic and had good ideas, and he lives in Collingswood, so having him on board is a good thing, I think. He can be mentored by the old guy, and then maybe become the Collingswood Shakespeare Company's official director in the fullness of time.

I obviously really, really, really want to be in this play because I seriously dream about it every night. Sad, no? Last night I dreamt I was Hipolyta.

By the way, elfmanfan, I fully expect you to be coming out to auditions, so stay tuned.)

The Husband's birthday was nice, although I never did make a cake. Bought one from the yummy bakery. It was actually a football shaped cake with the two Super Bowl teams on it, but Charlie picked it out, and I figured cake is cake. We sang happy birthday, that makes it a birthday cake.

I could ramble on more, but I don't want to bore you. Just wanted to say hello.

Oh, one silly thing though. Charlie has decided he is going to be a doctor when he grows up. He'll be a piano playing doctor. Just like House. At least that is the connection my pathetic little brain made up.

So, this is the director we've chosen: ( John Gallagher )

After he left last night, we (on the board) sat quietly for a moment and then someone said, "He does know this would be for free, right?" because we couldn't quite believe someone of his caliber would want to direct a small town play with a company that is totally new and doesn't even have any money yet. But apparently he's interested. I suppose it is sort of a working retirement or something.

Our Chair leader wants us all to try to raise some funds individually, which means begging friends and family, something I'm not terribly good at. I'm sure my parents will kick in something, and my in-laws may as well, but I sure don't feel comfy asking friends to give me money without having something to give in return.

Meanwhile, I'm really, really, really hoping to be cast. I have no idea what our talent pool is going to be. It could be tons of talented people, or we won't have enough to fill out the cast. On one hand, I sure hope we get enough interested people, but on the other hand, I'm hoping it isn't too many, as I'd like to have the 'big fish/small pond' advantage I enjoyed in college. I do worry we won't get enough boys to audition.

I wouldn't mind being Hippolyta, actually. It's a small part, but she has some good lines. And I could model her after Xena, which would be fun. I'd like to be Titania. I think I'm way too old for Hermia or Helena.

Right, enough babbling. Today is my husband's 39th birthday, and I am going to bake a cake. Wish me luck. :)

Got a nice email from a co-worker today...I must say, now that I have a minute to reflect, that hiring someone to do your job was sorely needed. Ben and John had way too much on their plate.
I must say, Ben is great about who he picks. You are on top of things without jamming people. From my perspective, that is wonderful. I really enjoy working with everyone in this company and you will be a great addition.

I, however, am so paranoid now I am sure at any moment it is all going to come crashing down.

Had another meeting of the Collingswood Shakespeare Company last night. It was all kinds of fun. I've volunteered to write up a brief bio of Shakespeare and a thing about theatre in Shakespeare's time to go on our eventual web-site, which is cool. There is a woman on the board who is a copy editor (of what I don't know) and I am entertaining the fantasy that she will be so impressed with my mad writing skillz that she will offer me freelance work, or something. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

I had other things I wanted to say. Clever, witty things, but I can't remember what they were now.

But I'm bored, so I'll say it anyway.

There's a commercial, I forget for what, where this guy weighs himself, then goes on a treadmill or something for a few minutes, then weighs himself again and is dissapointed that nothing's changed. That's how I feel. If life were fair, one would notice a change immediately upon starting exersize. Though I did do 40 minutes on the treadmill and ran for at least 5 of those minutes, so that's something.

My goal is to lose enough weight so I can audition to be Titania in A Midsummer's Night Dream that's going on in the summer. I'm too old to be Helena or Hermia, (and Hippolyta is a really small part, though I'd take it, because it is at least a speaking role.) At any rate, I'm hoping if I get in shape, I might be able to pull off Titania. I really want to be in a Shakespeare play before I die. I think I have the acting chops for it. At least I hope so.

Speaking of A Midsummer Night's Dream, we have this video borrowed from my in-laws of a RSC production of the play - but done like a film, starring a much younger Judi Dench. It was made in 1968 and the must have cost them about five pound fifty because the production value is horrible. And the guy playing Lysander was way too old for the role, and they were all dressed in clothes from 1968 for some reason. You'd think the RSC would have some period costumes lying around somewhere, but I guess they were going for a 'thing'. The girls were wearing those baby-doll dresses with peter pan collars and knee boots. Who ever thought that looked good? Judi Dench and all the faeries were painted green, and were nekkid. Well, Judi had some artful thingies over her breasts but still. Green and Nude. And the editing was horrible. They kept switching scenes for no reason other than maybe someone spent money on an editing machine and wanted to get good use out of it. Oh, and Oberon was kinda ugly. And skinny.

It was amusing.

I really need to go do something productive now. It's just so rainy and bleak today it is hard to get motivated.

Sigh.

I'm a founding board member of the newly created Collingswood Shakespeare Company. That's pretty cool, don't you think?

See, apparently in 1910 there was a group called The Collingswood Shakespeare Club, and they were responsible for creating the Collingswood Public Library which, at the time, was one of the biggest in the area, or something. So recently this guy who works for the liberary thought it might be nice for the liberary to return the favor, as it were, and so he came up with the idea of starting the CSC. It is very much in the planning stages at the moment, but apparently we are going to incorporate as a non-profit and hopefully this will turn into a 'thing'.

Currently the plan is to do A Midsummer Night's Dream in July, possibly in Knight's Park. I am personally hoping to get an actual role, but we'll have to see how that goes. Not too many roles for a middle-aged woman in that play, but who knows. Maybe I can be Hippolyta.

Meanwhile, it is pretty nifty to be in at the ground floor of something like this. I adore Shakespeare, so I'm glad to be a part of it.

In other news, nothing new on the job front, and I am feeling sad. And frustrated. I spent a couple of hours on line trying to find something I hadn't already applied to, and my phone has been appalingly quiet.

My house is pretty clean though.

Another article in The Guardian about the whole books on mobiles thing. This one is starting a contest. Also, must click on link to see Romeo and Juliet told totally in emoticons.

Shkspr in2 txt - wnt hlp w hmwk bt wil mk us laf

PS: That is totally Ian McKellen in the photo.

So, Trevor Nunn has an interesting article" in The Guardian about people wanting Shakespeare to be presented as it was 'meant' to be presented vs the clever productions that do things like set Romeo and Juliet in modern day Miami, or something.

He ends the article saying this: Shakespeare works much more through storytelling than symbolic gesture, and that every play of his is unique, different and particular, and won't be solved by the application of a formula.

With that, I thoroughly agree. If you do something clever to Shakespeare merely for cleverness's sake, it isn't going to work. I also think the people involved really need to love Shakespeare. This is why Ian McKellan's Richard III set in pre-WWII 1930's works and (In my opinon) That Leo DiCaprio/Claire Danes Romeo and Juliet movie didn't.*

There was a Midsummer Night's Dream that was set during the turn of the 20th century that just didn't work because they were so busy trying to be clever by having everyone ride around on bicycles. I mean, who rides a bicycle through woods?

Apparently our local high school is going to be doing Romeo and Juliet set during the 1960's, with Romeo being from Hippie stock, and Juliet from a military family. That could totally work if the people involved stay focused on the story and don't try too hard to make it clever.

The thing about Shakespeare, and the reason it is still resonant today is he wrote about basic human emotions which never really change, so where it is set isn't nearly as important as how it is portrayed.




*At least not for me. They were too busy saying 'oh, let's have guns and stuff' and not paying attention to the story. Though making Mecruito a transvestite was clever. And Claire Danes had no concept of what Shakespeare was and I wanted to slap her every time I heard her interviewed.

Lizey posted this link on Deletrius - http://www.chaoskitty.com/angel/ck_wls.html

Alan Rickman reciting a Shakespearian sonnet. Very nice. Apparently it is an album full of famous people reciting Shakesepere, which led me to thinking who I would like to hear reciting Shakespeare, if I were in control of the universe - or at least the part of the universe that did thinks like making CD's of famous people reciting Shakespeare.

So with out further ado (hee) here's my list of people that would make me all melty if they read Shakespeare.

Alan Rickman (cause - well, just listen to it)
Sting
Patrick Stewart
Tony Head

That's all I can think of right now. Feel free to add on.

I'm actually quite a sucker for Shakespeare. I had a brief relationship with a guy in college that I wasn't all that interested in until I was helping him prepare a monologue and he did "Friends Romans Countrymen" and did it really well. Totally turned me on. I'm weird, I know.

And is it just me or does George Bush using the term "liberation" in reference to Iraq make anyone else think of China refering to their 'liberation' of Tibet?