Another Pooh-Bah Weighs In

Theatre Communications Group - American Theatre - January 2010

www.tcg.org
Dear Meg,
I had seen that article on translating Shakespeare in my American Theatre Magazine. I read the first couple of paragraphs and skimmed along the rest.
There's going to be a hornets' nest of response to that.
But mainly it will be a competition for who wants to be the most lusty intellectual pooh-bah sounding off to vie for the outrage limelight.
That to me is just a bunch of Fox TV.
The only real response is to try it. You can talk about how you think its going to be forever, BUT nothing takes the place of action. Experiment.
Immediately I read that one note idea of his, I thought -- try it.
Certainly there are enough novels stealing the plots and soliloquies and characters from Shakespeare's plays. The Story of Edgar Sawtells -- based on HAMLET, the whole scene in the rain is right out of the Player King's speech -- Serena by Ron Rash: plot MC BETH, leading lady Lady M mixed in with some Marlowe.
But Shakespeare's English, while Elizabethan, is English, not Japanese or Russian. I take this olde time English for my Mother Tongue, huge, ancient, unwieldy, speaking to me from its origins when the vocabulary was in full flower with words colliding and fresh minted.
So I don't think we should be talking about translating our own language. How about calling it an update?
I think we should set up a group within ASF called something like"Fresh Mint" and look at this idea of updating some of the more rigidly archaic passages. Exploring that.

By the way, what did you think of HAMLET yesterday. I just saw the first act but didn't find myself thinking it was obtuse. Maybe because there were so many highly skilled actors making it easy for us.

The last production I saw was by the Wooster Group who dissected Richard Burton's film HAMLET which was projected on several large screens while actors acted it out live in front of the screens with strange costumes and experimental deconstruction of the text using peculiar voices. Plus most of them were way the wrong age for their characters.
The purpose was to overcome the smug assumptions of the audience and kick them out of their comfort zone. It was supposed they all knew how HAMLET should be and would boringly expect that old-hat type of production.
Honestly, by the end of the Wooster Group HAMLET I was convinced that this WAS the audience's comfort zone. Being gross and stupid with the play.
But I have to say the Wooster Group debacle refreshed me.
Because yesterday I so appreciated the clear, unfussy acting I saw. I was moved right from the beginning. Is this because of Haiti? World grief? The words "Melancholy Dane" actually made sense to me for the first time. It is a sad, sad story to me now!!!
This discussion relates to a question I have been wanting to pose for over a year: What is theatre? Is it a museum for re-enacting theatre history? Is it a place for celebs to dabble with their "craft." Are the writers just trying to get "real money" jobs in Television? Or is it an alchemist's lab? .......

Prep for Lettice and Lovage



Preparing for Lettice and Lovage rehearsals. Have learned the opening monologues but am suspended while waiting for a cut script What if the opening is cut?!
Monday Jan 11 ...Act II ...
Tuesday Jan 12 ..Act II, Act I speeches and Act I ....
Wednesday Jan 13 Act I monologues....
Thursday Jan 14 Opening speeches... email from Jack - script is cut ......

Tudor Time

While in England for Geoffrey's mother Kathleen's funeral on the 1st of December, we drove to Chelsea and visited the Victoria and Albert. First the costume exhibit. Then we discovered the Elizabethan rooms. We visited the great Bed of Ware and a room that had been completely reconstructed in the museum.
This sarcophagus is actually a photo from our stay in the Cotswolds in 2007. We had combined visiting Kathleen with a weeks stay. There had been floods that Spring and Summer. We went on long walks through the countryside and found this tomb in a small church.

The floor reconstructed in the V&A is, I presume,"Tudor oak" as in the opening monologue of "Lettice and Lovage."




Loved the ornate fireplace and the molded plaster ceiling. All creating a very gloomy room with a huge long dining table like the ones in Le Pain Quotidian but very dark!!


For Christmas we got a copy of "The Tudor Chronicles" by Susan Doran. A friend is reading a biography of Henry VII and a lively discussion developed at our Epiphany table about the "evilest man in England." I poured over the section on Henry' s life and that's really the first time I got the dates sorted!
I was a tour guide in London in the 70's for Abercrombie and Kent, luxury travel. That was a bread and butter job that I could keep! I undertook extraordinary feats of assistance for tourists who were always losing their luggage even when standing right next to it!! I would meet planeloads as they arrived at Heathrow. On the bus ride into London and their hotel I would explain the sights we were passing and alert them to their itinerary for the week. Often the flights were delayed, and I would wait for hours at the Arrivals gate at Heathrow, watching reunions of far flung families. I was in tears at the emotion I saw lavished on the arriving relatives. Such joy, such triumph over separation!

A day off for my husband. A chance to wash clothes, "pop into" the theatre, pay bills, maybe walk the dog and drink lots of water. Then back to the gloomy Dane straight through to techs.

Here we are last summer in Yosemite. Even with so many people there it's beautiful and holds onto it's natural beauty. The waterfalls were dried up but this stream wasn't and was soooo.. relaxing. A nice memory.

Montgomery is balmy and sunny today.
Big news: we may go out to a movie!!!
First I'll memorize another monologue from "Lettice and Lovage." Everyone knows I'm in it even though I wasn't allowed to say so. A student wished me good luck with it. Praise for her generousity of spirit!!!

Kathleen Winifred Baldwin Sherman
March 17, 1922-November 18, 2009

TRIBUTE
Kathleen Sherman was a committed Christian and chocolate lover. She was the oldest daughter in a family of six and was born and brought up in Shepherd’s Bush. During the many illnesses of her own mother, she became the primary caretaker for the entire family. A childhood accident left her with chronic back pain, but throughout her life she was know for her helping hand and sunny personality.In earlier life she was a civil servant and a singer, playing leading roles for the West London Operatic Society. It was here that her relationship with Jack Sherman, who was the Musical Director, grew and blossomed. They married and together had their son Geoffrey. His arrival was something of a triumph over difficult circumstances as Jack and Kathleen were bombed out of their home twice and Kathleen faced some health problems which meant that the pregnancy and birth were not straightforward.
Kathleen doted on Geoffrey and, even in later life, delighted in his company. As a child he suffered ill health and Kathleen made sure that she knew what the school curriculum was so that she could ensure that Geoffrey kept up with his lessons. Living in such a musical household Geoffrey was able to read music almost before he could read words and it was Kathleen who encouraged him to become a choirboy at the unusually young age of six. She also encouraged his violin lessons and has been supportive and proud of him throughout his life.
With her husband, Jack, she ran the family woollen business. She did all sorts of things and including planning trips North to visit woollen mills. She enjoyed these trips and, as on all car journeys, acted as a human navigation system. Not only did she provide directions, but also a running commentary of the road ahead.
For years Jack continued to run the West London Operatic Society and also gave singing lessons at home. Kathleen supported these endeavours by making sure that the house ran smoothly – dinner was always on the table promptly at six. In addition to Jack and Geoffrey, Kathleen’s wider family also benefited from her love and nurture and her cousin Audrey, who is with us today, looked on her as something of a godmother.
Kathleen’s caring nature came to the fore when she looked after, and nursed at different times, both her mother in law and sister in law in her own home. As an active member of the St. Dunstan's Mother's Union, she opened her house to all in need. On one occasion a young Australian child who needed a heart operation only available at Hammersmith Hospital was welcomed into the family home. Sadly, despite everyone’s best efforts, the girl eventually died, but it’s just one example of Kathleen’s kindness.
Kathleen was one of those people who had the ability to talk to anyone and often did – a character trait that embarrassed Geoffrey as a child.
In later years her twice weekly shopping trips in East Acton could take hours. This was partly because of her poor mobility and partly because she stopped to talk to all and sundry almost as if she was at a local village high street rather than West London.
Kathleen attended Geoffrey and Diana’s wedding in the States and she was a sweet grandma to Alice. Kathleen continued to run the family firm for some years after Jack’s death, until ill health forced her retirement and, on one of their trips to England the family were put to good use in the shop – Geoffrey going through the accounts and Diana and Alice in the stock room. On her last trip to their home Kathleen enjoyed spending time looking out of the window and watching the squirrels. She always loved animals.
Kathleen is remembered by her family for her salads and her desserts; and her green thumb resulted in a profusion of plant life throughout her home and garden. She was a gentle, pleasant person. For the last ten years of her life she suffered from progressive dementia, but she remained a sweet and socializing influence to the end. Children always warmed to her and in turn she loved them. Perhaps it’s fitting to finish this tribute with some words from her granddaughter Alice who simply said, ‘she was the cutest little lady, cuddly and cooing’. So today we pay tribute to Kathleen’s achievements, to her sweet nature and to a life well lived.

Christmas Past 2009

Things didn't exactly been go according to the Disney script.

Our celebrations were well intentioned, but a little amiss. First of all, I overdid the Christmas decorations. The dining room all silvery with huge snowflakes hanging from the chandelier and this silver table wreath. Plus silver napkins. Then the living room GOLD!!! I think I was trying to make up for last year when we got stranded by a snowstorm in the Utah mountains. Really only photos could show the folly. I wanted to cheer up Geoffrey!

Meanwhile, he nearly fell apart at a service of remembrance the Wednesday before Christmas when he went up to light the candle for Kathleen. Got all choked up. Maybe because he had a colonoscopy that morning. In addition, I had put my back out trying to help him to get his clothes back on! Then Alice had had a dentist appointment. We were a right collection of doddering old fools! But we managed to struggle through a very nice dinner at our favorite Indian restaurant.

The next day, Christmas Eve, I continued to tweak the intense decorations while Geoffrey and Alice shopped for groceries and then went to the final performance of "A Christmas Story". All the presents were wrapped. It was perfect. We had the pot roast and then Geoffrey fell face-forward into the couch never to rise up. I collapsed on the other end. Alice couldn't rally either of us for midnight mass. The next morning it was obvious I had bronchitis or something.

Still, we pressed on with preparation of our turkey dinner. We opened the presents and a champagne I had been saving for a happy day since my 60th birthday (18 months ago)! Alice had to cut two dishes from the menu so we could eat before the turkey turned stone cold. I leave you to imagine any grumbles of discontent. Then we went to the movies.

"Up In The Air" is thought provoking and very good, but a depressing sort of entertainment. Christmas Spirit was further frayed when Alice asked for one of our cars to drive to Atlanta for Boxing Day to see a chum.

So, I went to bed with aching ribs. Geoffrey and Alice walked the dog up to get coffee before she started her drive to Atlanta. We parents re-cooped while Alice reveled with cute people her age. When she got back we hung out and cooled out and enjoyed the rest (as in restful) of the twelve days of Christmas.... although she left on New Year's Eve in time to go to parties in LA.