Every October, Austin's live theaters give away free tickets to the month's performances. Nathan and I were blessed with tickets to a performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet. The best part was the setting: it was performed under an ancient oak tree in an equally ancient Boggy Creek cemetery.
It was one of the most memorable date nights I've ever had. It was incredible to watch this performance. There were torchlights in lieu of stage lights, and giant swaths of fabric hanging from the sprawling branches in lieu of a stage backdrop.
The setting was absolutely perfect as well- a full moon, a weekend close to Halloween, the shadows of headstones surrounding us, the flickering torchlight casting shadows on the gnarled oak tree, and the sound of bats flying overhead. Doesn't it sound perfect? I was giddy just sitting there, waiting for the show to start.
I had studied Hamlet in high school, memorized several of the famous soliloquies, and compared several movie versions- from Kenneth Braunaugh to Mel Gibson as the main character. I had never seen it live before, and it really opened a whole new world to me. The characters were so well performed and had such a depth of feeling. I found so much humor and wit in Polonius that had previously escaped me. I understood more of the passages that had puzzled me before. Nathan and I were laughing out loud so much! It was wonderful to be drawn into the story and held captive by the performers.
There's a wonderful exhilaration that comes from watching live theater. Shakespeare wrote such witty dialog. I love the way he paints with words. It gave me fodder to think about for a long time.
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1 comment:
You've added to my excitement! My oldest son and I have tickents to see Hamlet in just a couple of weeks! I am so excited! IT sounds like you had a blast!
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