TheBanyanTree: Hamlet

[Margaret R. Kramer]

I read Hamlet in high school.  Of course, we had to memorize “To be or not
to be” and look for hidden meanings in every utterance, so it was enjoyable
to finally watch Hamlet being performed by real actors in a real theater and
to realize that English teachers exaggerate the hidden meanings.  The words
are what they are and together they form an interesting story.

Hamlet was the first play produced at the Guthrie in 1963 and it is the last
play performed in 2006 at this Guthrie theater.  The new theater on the
river will open for business for the 2006/2007 season.

We enjoyed the play and gave it a rousing stand ovation.  About a third of
audience did so.  Maybe the other two thirds were thrown off because the
play was set in 1930s Denmark rather than in the 1500s.  I think Hamlet is
one of those universal plays – it doesn’t matter where or when it’s set –
the plot always makes sense.

I read that today is Shakespeare’s birthday.  And this past Friday was my
eldest grandson’s birthday; he is now seven years old, the age of reason.
We’re hosting his grandparents’ party today.  We’re providing the place,
Susan’s parents are providing the food, and Asher and Susan are providing
the cake and paper plates.  It’s going to be a nice day, too, so the boys
will be able to run around outside.  Next week is his kids’ party, which he
marked on my calendar, just so I  know.

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at comcast.net

http://www.bpwmn.org
Business and Professional Women of Minnesota

In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.
~Margaret Atwood