Shakespeare and Me:  The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth

It wasn’t love at first sight.  

First date:  Julius Caesar in tenth grade – probably an abridged version in the literature anthology.  Memorizing the stirring “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” speech was pretty cool (I can still recite it.), but I didn’t sit by the phone pining.

Second date:  Shakespeare I and II required of a college English major.   The text to footnote ratio per page in my “Complete Works” was an obstacle to clear communication between the Bard and me, but our relationship progressed.  The guy definitely had a way with words.

“An Item”:  I don’t remember my first encounter with Will on stage, but at some point the ground shifted.  The lines leapt off the page, resonating with emotion, humor, irony, and ambiguity as the characters came to life.  We began to see more of each other, and the chemistry was good – outstanding performances at OSF, in NYC and elsewhere.

True Love:  At last, I fell hopelessly in love thanks to Seattle Shakespeare’s intimate, imaginative, productions which time and time again capture the beating heart of Shakespeare – Darragh Kennan as Hamlet, David Pichette as Lear, Amy Thone as Shylock, Sarah Harlett as Richard III – and too many heart-touching productions to list.

I hope you’ll join me at Bill’s Bash on May 15 to see why my theatre-loving heart belongs to Seattle Shakes.  I’ve had a sneak preview of the program, which is entertaining and powerful.   

The event is free. Come! ENJOY! Contribute if you’re so moved. But mostly, enjoy. And maybe fall in love.

Seattle Shakespeare is a professional, all-classical, year-round theatre company that reaches across barriers of income, geography, and education to bring classical theatre to life for everyone in Washington State. Whether you're in a seat at the Center Theatre or on the grass at Luther Burbank Park or in a school auditorium in Wenatchee, you are part of Seattle Shakespeare.

Bill's Bash is Seattle Shakespeare Company's annual fundraiser, all online for the second year! Celebrate theatre and help me welcome new audiences, new students, new artists into this work by making a gift today, and by spreading the word. You'll keep these classic works alive in schools, communities, and on stage, for today and for the future!