The first play was "Rocket to the Moon" on the Lyttleton stage. When I walked into the theater to take my seat the was a wall in front of the stage, "Safety Curtain". When it opened I saw a 1930's dentists office in New York City. A very nice set. The story is sad and touching. A cliche happens, an almost 40 dentist (Ben) has an affair with the secretary, but it is so much more than that. There are themes of getting older, male responsibility and women's roles in the depression, and of course love. The characters were played on the surface with eruptions of depth breaching through surface. I won't give the end away, but I would not have chosen as Ben chose.
After, I walked to The Globe and bought a ticket to "Much Ado about Nothing". I spent the interum hours eating lunch, reading, and juggling. There was a nice spot to juggle out front on grass like carpet next to giant grass like furniture. When I dropped the balls they didn't roll far. I am sure people watched, but I tried not to notice or think about it. At one point a french man, I think a school teacher cam up to me and offered to play. He tried to take a ball I was juggling out of the air and then put it back. There was a little success and more laughing. Then he showed what he could do and juggled circles.
I took a walk around the area and found a wall of poems. One really struck me.
"Leaving and Leaving You by Sophie Hanna
When I leave you postcode and your commuting station,
When I left undone all the things we planned to do
You may feel you have been left by association
But there is leaving and leaving you.
When I leave your town and the club that you belong to,
When I leave without much warning or much regret,
Remember, there's doing wrong and there's doing wrong to
You, which I'll never do and I haven't yet,
And when I have gone, remember that in weighing
Everything up, from love to a cheaper rent,
You were all the reasons I thought of staying,
And none of the reasons why I went
And although I leave your sight and I leave your setting,
And our separation is soon to be a fact,
Though you stand beside what I'm leaving and forgetting,
I'm not leaving you, not if motive makes the act."
Upon returning I ran into the two sons of the head of the study abroad program and we chatted a bit, until the professor came. We went to our separate plays. I saw Chekhov's "Cherry Orchard" it was a great production; amazing set great acting in the Oliver Theater. Zoe Wanamaker was the mother. I didn't know her, but she is very famous here. The story is of irony and dashed hopes. Things the Russians find comedic. Chekhov's play are considered comedies. If that's comedy the Russian tragedies must be something to behold. I watched the play as an observer; I appreciated it, but was not moved.
After I returned to the flat.
When I left undone all the things we planned to do
You may feel you have been left by association
But there is leaving and leaving you.
When I leave your town and the club that you belong to,
When I leave without much warning or much regret,
Remember, there's doing wrong and there's doing wrong to
You, which I'll never do and I haven't yet,
And when I have gone, remember that in weighing
Everything up, from love to a cheaper rent,
You were all the reasons I thought of staying,
And none of the reasons why I went
And although I leave your sight and I leave your setting,
And our separation is soon to be a fact,
Though you stand beside what I'm leaving and forgetting,
I'm not leaving you, not if motive makes the act."
Upon returning I ran into the two sons of the head of the study abroad program and we chatted a bit, until the professor came. We went to our separate plays. I saw Chekhov's "Cherry Orchard" it was a great production; amazing set great acting in the Oliver Theater. Zoe Wanamaker was the mother. I didn't know her, but she is very famous here. The story is of irony and dashed hopes. Things the Russians find comedic. Chekhov's play are considered comedies. If that's comedy the Russian tragedies must be something to behold. I watched the play as an observer; I appreciated it, but was not moved.
After I returned to the flat.
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