Comedy of Errors

Although it was one of the least plausible Shakespeare plays, we really liked the Comedy of Errors set in a Florida trailer park with twin brothers separated at birth, one living in Canada, the other in red neck USA. Kenn played one of the leads. We got a chance to chat afterwards, but only briefly as the final set of notes from the director were about to be discussed. The girls drove up and stayed at an Air BNB and came to the play with us. We cruised around 20th street before the play, finding food and public art (likely a Nachtigall).

More hospital tests

We headed up to Saskatoon for some final tests and discussions about surgery. We got to pull on him to get one of the necessary x-rays. He had this done once before but in Regina there were enough technicians around to do the pulling. This time, Margaret and I did it.

We got preview performance tickets for Shakespeare's As You Like It. It was quite well done. Kenn McLeod was really on mark as the fool character, bringing a great deal of physical comedy and extra expressions to the scenes he was in.

Titus A. puppet performance was fantastic

Our top goal for being back in Saskatoon this weekend was to take in Titus A., an adaptation of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus in puppets directed by Kenn McLeod. While it was pretty hot out, the bigger problem was the thick smoke from BC that filled the air. We found out later that a performer in Hamlet, playing simultaneously to Titus in the main tent, passed out due to the smoke and they canceled Merry Wives evening show. At a street sale after the play I met Lance Wark, a guy who makes leather steampunk stuff in Saskatoon including these goggles, which I gave to William as an early birthday present.

Hamlet can't handle the heat

We drove up to Saskatoon for the Friday night performance of Hamlet at the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan festival. At the gates we were informed that the play was canceled due to the heat. We were carrying big bags of ice in anticipation of the grueling 38 degree weather so we were not too surprised. Went out to eat with Mike, followed by ice cream at the understated "Fable" ice cream stand, then watched tv at the hotel.

Saskatoon, doctor and Shakespeare

Drove up to Saskatoon. William had a doctor's appointment. In the evening we went to The Merry Wives of Windsor at Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan. Mike joined us. It was very well performed and directed. They were in contemporary dress but without any particular themes other than just doing the play very well. We'd not known Kenn McLeod was in it so that was a nice surprise. He had a moment when he had to point a sword at someone in the audience and he focused in on William. Here he is reenacting it. I regret that I was so tired, and my foot so sore, by the end of the evening that I couldn't have a decent conversation with Mike or anyone else.

Saskatoon day 2 (Saturday)

I got up early on Saturday and took in the pool. I love being the only person at a pool, it is very meditative. Someone else arrived at 8:30 so I left. We had lunch at a pinball diner. It costs a buck a game so it is more or less like the old days except the machines are well maintained. We popped past the book store to surprise Ed Willett as he was signing his new book.

We then drove out to Wanuskewin Heritage park were there was an opening of a new exhibit (bob cat traps from sticks) that was cool. I also went on the walking tour. Very hot out but worthwhile.

ancient bison bone

In the evening we attended Richard III at the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan. It was fairly well done but I felt overall it was a bit rushed and lacking in depth that pacing may have helped with.

Saskatoon day 1 (Friday)

We drove up to Saskatoon Friday morning. William and Kiki both had (different) appointments at UofS. The day was very hot and we got caught in a speed trap on the way back tot he hotel. George finally caught up to us and we all went to see "Twelfth Night" at Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan. It was set in a sort of early 20th century southern USA with banjos and mandolins.

Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan: Othello

We drove up to Saskatoon for the preview performance of Othello at the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival. The performance was excellent with the play adapted to contemporary day with Othello rewritten as Cree. It was very respectful - perhaps too respectful. I think it could have pushed the controversial aspects of it further. Of course I have no images of the performance, but they always have these corny photo things in the reception garden outside. Weather was hot, we stayed in a nice cool hotel. On our way there, we met a guy from norther Saskatchewan on the street who was trying to find a place to eat on his birthday, having been displaced due to the heavy smoke this week. Margaret gave him some and we had a great chat. 

Shakespeare On Saskatchewan: Taming of the Shrew

We did a whirl-wind trip to Saskatoon and back today. Drove through a couple of sizable rainstorms but it was mostly dry in Saskatoon where we connected up with Mike and took him along to the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan performance of The Taming of the Shrew in a 1960's style with musical numbers. It was really good even though we had rather poor seats, far to the side. Performances are geared 80% of the time to the front view

even though they've established a 3/4 semi-in-the-round stage. Afterwards we went to Keo's for fantastic Thai food then drove back home. Managed to miss most of the storms on the way back. 

warm feet sharpens the mind

Margaret bought me a pair of alpaca slippers yesterday, responding to my months of agony over cold feet around the house. It allowed me to focus and completely rewrite the dialogue for the super-8 film I'm trying to make, a Sockvile inter-season teaser in iambic pentameter.

286

I finally put my new video together. I'm not completely happy with it, probably because it doesn't really look like I spent three days making it. Part of the final stage was creating the title sequence which I will use for all 13 episodes, deciding on fonts, recording all 13 episodes (each will contain 3 statements, I wrote over 40 so will have some to spare), and then making the video. I was actually delayed by not having a title for it, but having finished season 2 of "Slings and Arrows" last night, I was taken with the idea that this set will all have Shakespearean titles (these have not been chosen yet, so I'll be hitting the books). Enjoy.

282

I stayed home most of the day and broke ground on new projects. I have an adaptation of A Midsummer Nights Dream that has been on the back burner for a long time and I've begun typing the microscopic scrawls in the margins of the book into the screenwriting software. I have it visualized as a highly stylized, minimalistic Wheat Soup-like version. On that note, Margaret and I just watched the first 4 episodes of "Slings and Arrows", a funny television show about theatre with lots of Shakespeare goings on. I also recorded voice for the next set of 13 web videos, but the videos aren't made yet, sorry, those will be a bit late unless I get the hang of this time travel thing (see yesterday's blog).