'Tis new to thee/my music for free ...

[saavedra77]

So, I went to see an outdoor performance of Shakespeare's The Tempest, in Volunteer Park, on Sunday: the temperature was in the low '80s, the music was African-accented (lots of drums), the staging kind of vaudevillian.  The play's Prospero was unfortunately uninspiring, its Caliban merely sulky, but Miranda was a charmer, and Ariel positively flew.

Now, to me, this play's finest moment is when the sheltered Miranda discovers human society for the first time, marveling:

Oh wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is!  O brave new world
That has such people in’t!

And Prospero replies ruefully:

‘Tis new to thee.

But I'm a rueful kind of guy.  :-) 

This time through, though, I was entertained to note the parallel language in what you might call Shakespeare's take on online file sharing in The Tempest:

This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where
I shall have my music for nothing.

Also, too bad the production company hadn't seen this article in time to plan the production, accordingly: it would have been amusing to see the play performed in that ol' fashioned Elizabethan twang ....

Comments

[delerium69.livejournal.com]

I really need to see more Shakespeare; I don't have enough of the Bard in my life.

[saavedra77.livejournal.com]

Well, Greenstage plans to put on a number of other plays by the bard, this summer--I think they're even doing the Tempest again, at some point:

http://www.greenstage.org/

Why not get some sun with your blank verse? :-)

[delerium69.livejournal.com]

*giggle* I think Seattle is a wee bit out of my way (not that I wouldn't want to travel to that part of the West coast some time). But DC does have decent Shakespeare, I just need actual $$ to fund my theatre desires.

[saavedra77.livejournal.com]

Silly me, I took you for another local: Guilt by association, I suppose--we seem to know some of the same people ... :-)

[delerium69.livejournal.com]

No problem. ;o)