Measi's Musings

Archive for October, 2008

Blessed Samhain and Happy Halloween all.

Not celebrating the former tonight, but am celebrating the latter. We have 20 bags of candy on deck for trick-or-treaters this evening, and with the absolutely beautiful weather we’re having today, I imagine the vast majority of it will be gone by 9 p.m., handed out to the vast hordes of kids who will roam our neighborhood.

We live in one of THOSE neighborhoods. And honestly, handing out candy is a good time for me – it’s one of those few times I really feel part of my neighborhood, since I travel so far to work. For the most part, the kids are polite and say thank you. When the junior high and high schoolers come around, you grab the candy, guard the bowl, and hand it to them (as they have the tendency to be obnoxious and try to grab everything). For the toddlers and younger kids, you let them pick pieces.

I’m not petty – I don’t care if kids have costumes or not. We live on the edge of a very poor neighborhood, and it’s why we get so many kids – ours is safe and well-lit, with almost entirely single family homes. So the kids from the rough neighborhoods come here. While yes, I don’t think it’s much effort to throw an old ratty sheet over your head with holes in it (I got a rock…), *shrug* not my place to judge where each family’s at. Particularly in these times.

So yeah… should be a fun evening, sitting on the front steps with one of my new Doctor Who novels in hand should the guys not choose to join me to hang out.

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New eggs for the day in the Dragon Cave. I imagine only for Halloween:

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Erich bought me my Yule/Christmas/Birthday present (the present combo is traditional from somene… since I was, like, 3…) early – a new laptop! My poor old iBook died a few months ago after six hard years of service.

Now that the newest model Macs are out, the 2008 models have been slashed quite a bit. PLUS – my office gives a generous one-time discount for energy-saver computer purchases. So it really was a great deal. I haven’t seen it yet, but I know it’s a 15″ MacBook Pro. Can. Not. Wait. to have my own computer again (it has now been over a month… I’m going through withdrawl). This move may be equally to release his laptop from my clutches so I don’t fill it with fanfic.

And I’ll once again have a working Mac. All is right with the world.

*bounces happily*

Copy this sentence into your livejournal if you’re in a heterosexual marriage, and you don’t want it “protected” by the bigots who think that gay marriage hurts it somehow.

Part two of the recap, now with photo goodness at my flickr site. As before, spelling and weird grammar errors are what comes from the entry. I’m being a purist here.

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16 October 2008
on train to Cardiff via Birmingham

Well, leg one has ended and now we’re on leg 2 – a couple hours until we arrive in Cardiff. I’ll miss Stratford – it was a lovely little town, so quiet at night yet bustling all day.

Love’s Labour’s Lost was extremely good last night. Our seats were directly below ours from last night – only 8 rows from the stage and an unobstructed aisle view straight to the stage.

We laughed most of the night – it’s amazing how modern (or perhaps… universal) the humour is in Shakespeare. Add to that the very flirtateous asides of David to the audience (and the screaming fan girls) and it was a good time had by all.

I’m not sure which play I liked better in respect to David’s performance. Both were so different that it’s honestly a bit tricky to compare. I think they provided a fantastic cross-section of his talents.

Unlike Hamlet, Love’s Labour’s Lost had one set – a large tree with multi-coloured stringed glass hanging from the rafters to represent tree limbs. Lounging pillows and a swing that dropped from the ceiling added to different scenes. And there were a few instances where David was up in the tree.

So yes – no regrets. The shows were fantastic!

After the play last night, Maria and Erich and I went to the Dirty Duck, a pub known for post-production pints by crewhands and actors at the RSC. It’s a cozy llittle place – only a few tables. While we were there, a few of the actors came in – the actor playing the Spaniard, two fo the Ladies, and Zoe Thorn, who is the tinest woman! She was in 4″ heels and still barely could see over the bar! Last call was early – about 11:30. We walked Maria back to her B&B and then went back to our hotel, the Thistle.

We did some sightseeing whilst there. Before the play, we hopped the train to Warwick and went to Warwick Castle. It’s been kept up lovely – there were tours through the main living quarters, decorated in Victorian times – there were residents in teh castle until the twentieth century. Each room was wax-like fitures that honestly appeared too real. A bit creepy – almost as if they could turn to you at any moment.

Erich, Michelle and Maria did the ramparts and towers walk. I managed to get up to the first rampart, but had to turn back at the first tower. The stairs were so narrow and so tightly enclosed that I panicked. Full-on claustrophobia. So Erich helped me back down to firm Earth, and then continued the walk. Apparently I bailed out at the right time – the stairs and path grew more difficult later on. But Erich got pictures. SO I’ll still be able to enjoy them. And even without that, I got to go into a real castle! I’m not complaining!

This morning we headed over to Trinity Church to see where Shakespeare is buried. Unfortunately there was a funeral this morning, so we were unable to go inside. We wandered the church grounds, though – now nearly entirely a graveyard, very peaceful and quiet. The centuries have worn many engravings away, much as they have in New England.

We went back to check out, and then I popped over to a newsagent to get postcards and a Shakespearean bookmark for Matt. I found the cards, but no bookmark. So I decided to head back over to the Courtyard Theatre. I bought a couple bookmarks at the RSC and walked into the main foyer, where I find…

David Tennant! Having some water during a rehearsal break!

I shook his hand, complimenting him (and a couple of the other actors) on the plays, and then left him alone. Quiet, simple, but oh… squee!

Erich, Michelle, and Maria all hate me now, of course.

But such strange timing – to think that I was there only to find that bookmark. SO I suppose I have Matt and his desire for a Shakespeare bookmark to thank!

I’m a bit sad that we had to leave Stratford so soon – we might have needed another day or two. But hopefully we can go sometime again. Erich jokes that we’ll do that on the next Doctor Who hiatus, when David’s again on an RSC turn.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten to record some of the early stuff – I’ll write more later tonight once we’re at the Cardiff hotel.

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So yes, that’s the rest of the Stratford recap, and yes – I got to meet the man under purely unusual circumstances… but was so stunned and shocked at it that I barely said anything. No photos (the camera was with Erich), no autographs (too shy to ask). Just a handshake, and my chance to compliment him.

And I didn’t even mention Doctor Who. Somehow, I bet he would have known anyway, given that there was a Yank at the RSC.

Squee!

I’ll be typing up my handwritten journal entries over the next few days for my trip recap. Weird spellings and broken trains of thought are from the journal – I figure I might as well be a purist in this and just use the immediate reactions I had.

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14 October 2008
Stratford-Upon-Avon

We returned just a few minutes ago from seeing Hamlet at the RSC. Absolutely fabulous! And contrary to my husband’s teasing, I didn’t stare only at David Tennant the entire time – the entire cast was fantastic (!!).

But still the fangirl in me is all thrilled that I have now seen David perform – in person – and… and now also have seen Patrick Stewart perform on stage, which I’ve dreamed about since my early teens.

It’s hard to believe that the original catalyst for our entire trip – seeing Hamlet – is now past us. It was so worth every penny (pound?).

The almost entirely blank set, save the mirrors and reflective stage, were used in such an interesting way, and right from the start! In the first full scene, the guards and Horatio are on watch, seeing the ghost of Old Hamlet, and rather than having stage spotlights, the actors provided lights themselves, bouncing the beams of slashlights off of the stage surface into the face of one of the others – very clever!

As much as I loved David and Patrick (more on that in a moment), I think Polonius stole the show. I don’t remember him beng the slightly absent-minded, tangent-loving old man from reading or watching previous versions. But here I felt he was oddly endearing, not so slimy as int he Mel Gibson version as I remember. Oh, how he made the audience laugh!

Laertes looked so familiar. His program bio had nothign I’d remember, though – I shall have to look him up on IMDB when I get home.

I like dthat the scene in Gertrude’s bedroom (and yes, I’m lazy and not referencing the exact scene numbers) wasn’t as overtly sexual as I’ve seen it interpreted before. The hints are still there – a strong undercurrent. But the raw anger expressed instead made a lot of sense… it seemed very “true.”

Seeing Patrick Stewart perform has been a dream of mine since I was 13 or 14. I learned of him through Star Trek, of course, but while I was a teenager, he also performed a one-man version of A Christmas Carol on stage, and I desperately wanted to go (but never dared ask Mom for tickets – she’d think I was very weird).

His presence on stage is amazing – his voice just booms from the stage, and his diction is so clear. He played both the ghost of Old Hamlet and the King in this production, and I think the combination worked perfectly. It was an absolute treat, and I’m so happy to have one of those longtime goals fulfilled.

And onto another goal – THE goal that brought us here – to see David Tennant in Hamlet I think Russell T. Davies has it right in his Production Notes in Doctor Who Magazine – I can say I was there. Hamlet. RSC 2008.

Absolutely thrilled. to. bits. Beginning to end, I saw Hamlet. Yes, my more annoying fangirl mind broke through fromt ime to time, but I saw Hamlet. He was a destroyed man in mourning. he was mad. He was hysterically funny. I stand amazed – David acts with every ounce of his being. His body movements, his facial expressions, his words – all are perfect.

And like I said – I am amazed.

One particular point got me – after Hamlet has broken from Horatio and the guards to follow the Ghost and hear its tale, he has a soliloquy on stage -and he was staring right at me. Now, I know he wasn’t actually looking at me – I was merely in the way of his focal point. But for one small moment – many lines, in fact, I was breathlessly still because David was staring at me, and for that time, i felt like it was only me in the theatre. Just amazing.

I am in awwe. And osm eof me can’t believe that it’s now over. At least… Hamlet is. Tomorrow is Love’s Labour’s Lost.

One thing I’m very thankfully about – Maria and Michelle had originally planned on goign to the theatre door after the performance to get autographs. I wasn’t keen – over the months I’ve heard the horror stories, so I wanted to stay away. While yes, I’d love to have David’s autograph, I’d much prefer to send him a small note via his agent to compliment him, but still give him at least the portion of privacy that I can provide.

Michelle was chatting with two ladies who work for the RSC, and from what they said,t he poor guy has just been bombarded. So I was happy when Michelle and Maria decided not to go. We stayed for the curtain calls (only a few people standing – perhaps standing O’s are not British proper?), and then headed for a pint, wandering into the dark Stratford night, where the streets were dead silent within a half-hour after the play.

More thoughts tomorrow – it’s now 1:20 a.m…. must sleep!

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More recap stuff tomorrow, once I get some photos uploaded!