1. Sparky and I first worked together in the fall of 1991 to give students of ENG 201 (Shakespeare) the opportunity to take their Shakespeare studies out of the English classroom and onto the stage. AnnMarie Maurer performed first that Fall Term, on a couch, in CEN 009, as Juliet. Tonight, nearly twenty years later, AnnMarie performed again, not in a classroom, but under the lights at the Blue Door Theater, and I marveled for a moment at how the humble project Sparky and I started twenty years ago has grown into an evening of bright costumes, lighting, scenes given by students, faculty, and community actors, and about thirty scenes. It's grown from a classroom activity to a recital to a fully developed showcase. My oh my.
2. Before the Showcase matinee, I went to Jiffy Mart to see if I'd like one of their sandwiches. I ordered a corned beef, salami, and cheese on sourdough and it was superb. I'll be back for sure.
3. After both Showcase performances, Michael and I had robust Shakespeare conversation. I especially enjoyed discussing how Shakespeare created such an intelligent and linguistically sophisticated King of Misrule in Falstaff. Michael and I have both performed scenes as Falstaff and it's remarkable how challenging it is to play him because of his bawdiness, intelligence, understanding of his fellow tavern friends, mendacity, and, among other things, boundless sense of humor.
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