TO GO OR NOT TO GO?
This was the week that was and that was the question. To go, or not to go. So, this week we went. We went to see a play and the theater was about two-thirds full. Then we debated going to our regular orchestra concert with friends and decided to just do it. It was a wonderful concert (more about that later), and we were pleased that there were empty seats on either side of us and empty ones in front. Overall, the hall was only about a third full, and in the lobby, folks were standing farther apart than usual and there just weren’t as many people. The rest room was somewhat empty, but I noted that every woman took longer to wash her hands, practicing thorough scrubbing and at least two rounds of “Happy Birthday.”
CULTURE COMMENTS
The play, Into the Breeches!, takes place in 1942 and involves a group of local women putting on Shakespeare’s Henry plays while their men are off at war. The women play the men’s roles in this comedy, and there is one hilarious scene where they practice their manly walks with appropriate appendages. Overall, I found it enjoyable, but not my favorite. There are some more serious moments around the issues of race and sexual orientation which give it punch. Sadly, for our local audience, the remainder of the performances have been cancelled.
The Sarasota Orchestra is hosting eight guest conductors this season as part of its recruitment process for a new music director. Friends and I went to a morning interview and concert preview with Keith Lockhart, conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, and then to the concert that evening. Titled “Beethoven and Bartok,” it included Beethoven’s lovely fourth piano concerto along with Bartok’s last work, Concerto for Orchestra, considered by many to be his best one. Despite the small audience, the orchestra’s playing was bright and energetic and Lockhart a fluid conductor whose remarks to the audience before the Bartok added to the richness of the experience. Alas, that was the only performance; the Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances have all been cancelled.
COCOONING
With COVID-19 looming large, our area, like so many, is closing down. Museums, schools, theaters, and libraries are all shutting their doors and cancelling events for the next several weeks at least. We cancelled a trip to Pennsylvania and are monitoring the situation regarding both domestic and international travel in the months ahead. So, what to do?
I think many of us will be reading more, watching more on our home screens, and walking. Here, we have dog walkers, those who saunter, those who power walk, and a few runners. If I am out on the boulevard, I have a very good chance of encountering one or more of my neighbors for chit-chat. That’s a good thing and most welcome.
CURRENT READING
These are both books in progress. I will finish the mystery this weekend. Both relate to Ireland.
The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan
This is a crime novel set in Galway, Ireland and is the first by this author. A young man dies by his own hand, or so it seems. Detective Cormac Reilly is assigned to a 20-year old cold case that is connected to the current possible murder. He was the rookie detective on the old case and met the young man who just died, Jack, when he was five years old. The characters are intriguing and I’m curious to know how Jack’s girlfriend, Aisling, and his long-lost sister, Maude, are interconnected with the events of twenty years ago. McTiernan’s website states that this book has been optioned for TV and that she has written two other novels with this detective.
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
I have just begun this nonfiction work which was on several 10 best lists last year. It’s about The Troubles and one reviewer said it read like a novel. So far, it’s dense with detail, but I will get back to it once I complete the mystery above.
Note: Keefe photo from newyorker.com Cover photo ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)
