My Valentine's Day gift for the Man of the House this year was a A Year of Date Nights. One date a month for the next twelve months. This is our date of the month...
The theme for June was "Shakespeare in the Park".
In Asheville, North Carolina there is a delightful little theatre group known as the
Montford Park Players. Every weekend during the warmer months you can see them perform at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater for (this is the best part) FREE!
You can rent lawn chairs for a couple of dollars each if you prefer not to sit on the ground; and they do ask for donations during intermission - but a few dollars in the hat per person is pretty cheap for live theatre!
It's one of those things that I think about doing every year, and somehow never seem to actually do. A perfect choice of a new adventure for our Date of the Month!
This month was Shakespeare's "Henry V".
Late on Friday afternoon, the skies kept getting darker and darker. I could hear thunder rolling off in the distance. And then the heavens opened and the rain poured. I was a little worried that date night would be rained out. But a few quick prayers seemed to be answered as the rain stopped and the skies began to clear just as we left to head downtown. Yeah!!
Once there, we found our seats - pulled out the picnic dinner I had packed - and waited for the show to start.
The play was... well, it was Shakespeare. It takes about half the first scene or so to start getting used to the Elizabethan speech. But it was funny... dramatic... romantic... and entertaining.
At intermission, they have someone come up on stage to play the part of "William" (yes, Shakespeare) complete in doublet, jaunty cap, and fake beard. And guess who got the honor at this show? Oh yeah... that's right. It was ME! (It helps to know people) I got to wave to the crowd. While they sang Happy Birthday to Will in honor of his 450th birthday this year - oh, and to anyone else in the audience having a birthday this month. No. I do not have pictures of that. But, it was fun, and silly, and I got a free beer out of it. The beard was itchy...
It was a wonderful evening. I love live theatre. Seeing it under the stars (clouds?) with the Man of the House makes it even better.
I would definitely go back. In fact, I hope to do it again in August when they present "The Taming of the Shrew"!
More "Date of the Month":
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