As You Like Shakespeare

I bolted out of the subway station Saturday night, after waiting 20 minutes for a train that wasn't coming, in hopes of catching a cab before the rest of the crowd emerged from the station onto the sidewalks. The October snowstorm messed with the power at a station further down the line, and I was stuck with all the other people on the platform without a subway ride.

I was impatient to catch a cab because I had a grocery bag full of rice krispie bars and brownies, and there were people a few miles away who expected to eat them.

The snow was still around the next day.
I like the path in the grass, the snowball's track.

I made it to the theater, soaking wet and almost on time. With my fellow volunteers, we sold all the concessions to an amazing audience who showed up, almost on time, in the snowstorm. Then, at the end of the show I clapped loudly for the cast, which included my daughter.

She had a small role in the show, As You Like It, and she enjoyed every minute of rehearsing and performing. She loves Shakespeare, and she's not alone. I like looking on stage to see the tweens and teens performing - and performing really well! - and I like seeing the audience filled with young people who follow the story line and laugh at the jokes.

After the show, I walked my daughter's friend home. The friend commented to me how alike some of the plots and characters are from one play to another, and we talked about that as we walked, comparing different plays and comparing different productions we have seen.

On a snowy sidewalk on a Saturday night with this teenage neighbor of ours, I pinched myself at how lucky I am to know these kids who are willing to spend their time reading, performing, and watching (and understanding and loving) Shakespeare. It might not be cutting-edge activity, but I think their experience with Shakespearean text will serve them well in a world full of digital txt.

I am happy for them.

Where we sometimes study, txt, and read text like Shakespeare,
though sometimes all we do here is drink mocha coffee and chat.