Last night, against all odds, me, Seth, and Owen made to see Actors From the London Stage in “The Tempest”. The performance was in Wellesley, far, far from where we live, and it was rush hour. I spent most of the day devising a plan, and this was it: Owen skipped soccer practice and we picked up a meatball sub and a pizza for dinner on our way to Seth’s freshman soccer team game. He was playing of course, in a town not particularly near Wellesley, but we went out there and watched them win, and then, people, we got on the highway. I’d printed out a regular map and a campus map, and had the information written down. (Perhaps you’ve guessed this already, but I don’t get out much. Also, I don’t know how to work the GPS.) I am happy to say that we made it in plenty of time, got really good seats, and despite some sibling bickering* (I eventually had to sit in the middle of them), had a lovely evening at the theater. There were just five actors, each playing multiple parts, at which they were amazing, the music was ethereal and gorgeous, and the whole thing was just brilliant. You felt yourself to be in such good hands with these actors, they were so skilled at what they were doing, so obviously in love with the language and the story.
This morning I had to walk the dog kind of early since Tex is out of town and I’m bachelorette-ing it. By the time I got back, the boys were awake and I didn’t have time to do my devotional reading or have a tiny moment of meditation. So I was a little off kilter, and then the boys bickered* again and then I had to go to work and when I got back, Owen was on this whole tear of speaking in a really silly English accent, and Seth was saying things like, “Owen, come hither!” and then bickering* with him and I was getting grumpier and grumpier. And then I realized that they had been inspired by Shakespeare, just as I was when I was a kid and first saw “As You Like It” – the language, the language! So I took a deep cleansing breath and let them have at it, congratulating myself on energy very well spent last night on our big adventure. Here’s to many more!
You taught me language; and my profit on’t
Is, I know how to curse.
–Caliban, Act I, scene ii, The Tempest
*fisticuffs and snarling
The Total Femme 