1. A while back, Bill and Diane asked me if I would be willing to make some comments on ZOOM about the first cycle of The Hollow Crown, a British adaptation of Richard II, Henry IV, parts 1 and 2, and Henry V. In October, we Westminster Basementeers will start having some discussion of this series -- and, inevitably and gloriously, wider discussions of Shakespeare's plays and an even wider discussion of what Shakespeare's work moves us to talk about outside the plays in the lives we lead. This isn't school. No one is under pressure to watch the series. Our joy comes not in completing assignments, but in talking about big questions and we'll be able to do that no matter what!
I don't remember, to be honest, the last time I made comments about Shakespeare as a way to help others see what Shakespeare might be up to in his works. For so long, in my life, it seemed like that was almost all I did -- teaching courses in Shakespeare at Whitworth, the Univ of Oregon, and Lane Community College and being involved for about fifteen years introducing plays and leading discussions at Shakespeare Camp in the summers.
I last taught a Shakespeare course about fifteen years ago. I included a Shakespeare play in the syllabus when I taught Intro to Drama (maybe twice). The last time I "taught" a Shakespeare play was in the spring of 2012.
So, today, I had to wonder: Can I still do this?
Well, to quote the late great play by play man Keith Jackson, "Whoa Nellie!"
I sure could.
It felt great to say a few words about how this tetralogy explores Henry Bolingbroke's seizing of Richard II's crown, thus breaking the rite of succession. This rupturing event was, in the Queen's words to the Gardener, "the second fall of cursed man." It felt great to say a few words about Shakespeare's exploration of time and broken time. It felt great to say a few words in anticipation of Prince Hal's declaration early in Henry IV, part 1: "I'll so offend as to make offense a skill, / Redeeming time when men think least I will."
It felt great to do all I could to open the way to discussing the way Shakespeare is exploring national issues in the face of the belligerent transfer of power from Richard II to Henry Bollingbroke (Henry IV) while at the same time exploring the inward lives of these kings, of exploring them as public power figures and as private men who are first and foremost flawed and feeling human beings.
So we have a framework we can work within (and outside) of. We have some big questions before us. We Westminster Basementeers are fully aware that these matters Shakespeare dramatizes, the nature of leadership, the transfer of power, sharp division in the country, chaos, and confusion are all things the USA is also experiencing at this moment in history.
Shakespeare's history plays are never exclusively about the past. Just as these plays were giving Shakespeare's audience a way of exploring Elizabeth I's and James I rule by looking at events, for them, that happened about 200 years earlier, so these events, for us, that happened over 600 years ago, cast light on our country's current turbulence and division.
It'll be really fun, come October, to dig deeper into these plays, as presented in The Hollow Crown, with Bill, Diane, Bridgit, Colette, and Val.
Our discussions are transcendent.
2. Debbie called me again this evening and we continued to discuss our situation, the way we've been apart from one another for nearly a year now, and about what we might do when living together again, at a time still to be determined.
Not long after Debbie and I wrapped up our excellent conversation, Jeff Steve called. He was nearing the end of a quick trip up to CdA and called to say hello and we had a great discussion of what's happening in our lives these days, our respective responses to the pandemic, and the expansion of our spiritual lives over the decades. Between First Presbyterian Church in CdA and Whitworth College, and several mutual CdA friends dating back to the 1970s, Jeff and I have a lot of shared history and we have great talks about how we have worked out our spiritual lives relative to Christianity and other spiritual traditions. I'd say we are both spiritual expansionists (if there is such a thing), explorers of many spiritual paths, open to all kinds of possibilities. Because this is true for both of us, we have scintillating discussions, generous ones, and I enjoyed very much how we talked about things tonight. Jeff recommended that I read The Autobiography of a Yogi and I might just do that before long!
3. It was getting a little late, for me, when Jeff and I wrapped our conversation, but I wanted to watch some drama in the Vizio room.
I took out a canning jar, packed it with ice, emptied the last of the fifth of Basil Hayden rye whiskey I had on hand into the glass and added a little water.
I made this cocktail last for the entire 90 minutes or so while watching the second episode of season four of Foyle's War, "Bad Blood".
It's a mighty episode centered simultaneously on the murder of a decorated war hero on a beach and the sudden and mysterious illness of the war hero's wife and of Christopher Foyle's driver, Samantha.
At the same time, then, while Foyle investigates the murder (which a police officer friend of his thought was solved), he also comes to discover that a military experiment with biological warfare has gone awry, causing the mysterious illness the widow and Samantha are suffering.
For me, this was an especially enjoyable episode of Foyle's War. The main story lines were accompanied by several fascinating subplots, all of which tied together. Some of them seemed to point toward further development in future episodes.
I'm very happy I took a night off from film noir, neo-noir, and Robert Altman movies and returned, after a long absence, to another brilliant episode of Foyle's War.
No comments:
Post a Comment