January 30, 2007

Beltway Blogger Barding Bulletin

The Maximum Leader is looking for interest in getting together to see the Shakespeare Theatre's current production of Richard III. (Needless to say, I've already volunteered to be a member of the party.)

One of our longstanding household expressions comes from Act IV, Scene 2 of Olivier's film version of this play when Larry's Richard says to Ralph Richardson's Buckingham, "I am not in the giving vein to-day." The Mater often used to deliver this line in a steely Olivier voice when she felt that my siblings and I were being too demanding. We quickly learnt that we proceeded further at our peril.

Speaking of Olivier, the ML mentions his tee vee version of King Lear. What I remember primarily about this production was that I fell in love with Diana Rigg when I saw it for the first time. (The joys of the company of Emma Peel were, at that point, still an undiscovered country for me.)

Mmmmm....Diana......mmmmm........

Sorry, this post seems to have wandered a bit.

Posted by Robert at January 30, 2007 11:14 AM | TrackBack
Comments

Count me in for drinks afterward, but I'm not at all a fan of Shakespeare.

Except when performed by Keanu Reeves, of course ...

Posted by: Professor Chaos at January 30, 2007 11:54 AM

Thanks for mentioning the plan. I appreciate it.

For some reason my archive links aren't working. So if you happen to be reading this and are interested in coming to the play... Write me at maximumleader at nakedvillainy dot com

And if we get the matinee there will be drinks after...

Posted by: The Maximum Leader at January 30, 2007 12:16 PM

I'd also mention that Synetic Theatre is doing MacBeth at the Spectrum in Rosslyn. I saw their Dracula last year. Very good.

Posted by: Ted at January 31, 2007 12:33 PM

Speaking of naked villains and the Folger, when I was 14 and very innocent, my mother took us to the Folger to see "The Complete Works of Billy the Kid". My 16 y.o. brother and I sat right in the middle of the front row, our parents in the back.

Well, the language was quite raw and blasphemous (F--- Christ, etc.), and in the second act Billy and girlfriend got naked on a cot, then she pranced around in his trou and suspenders 2 feet in front of us for 10 minutes. He was pretty scrawny, she wasn't. The weirdest part is they had to have seen US, too.

Afterwards, my mother said "Stick with your mother, boys, and see the world."

Posted by: Ralph L. at February 4, 2007 09:17 AM