To Be or Not To Be - Is that really a question?

"Now is the winter of our discontent" - What a perfect start to the play that is about my life! Or an epic tale about 15th Century English Royalty, intertwined with murder, jealously, and an evil nobleman with his eye on the throne. Now with the foreshadowing out of the way, I can tell you about what really happened this evening with the Shakespeare Society of San Diego. I attended the monthly Open Reading session held at the Uptown Crow Bookstore & Coffee House in Seaport Village. This months featured play was Richard III, who by the way is an EEEVVVIILLLL (btw you have to say it like that) dude who abuses his murderous tendencies to gain the power of the throne!

Now this blog isn't about reviewing literature or providing a summary that would not even come close to doing it justice, it's about my experience! I went expecting to find some drama wierdos and over enthusiastic Shakespeare lunatics but I was pleasantly surprised. I was apart of the largest turn out to date that included the young and old, the actors and the enthusiasts, and me the one who was along for the ride. The format was extremely relaxed, where the quasi director asked for volunteers to play various parts of the Act 1 Scenes 1 thru 3. One could easily pick out the actors, as their hands went up almost immediately, all who emphatically needed to play Richard the III. The only thing that was puzzling was the large amount of english accents, which I guess I shouldn't be shocked since I was at a Shakespeare reading :) .

The best part of the evening was the pleasure I had in meeting an older couple Eleanor & Nick, who traveled down from the Bay Area especially for the Open Reading session!! A long way to go to make a dead guys words come to life (obviously my opinion). I was amazed how enthused they were about the society, and how they worked the room with ease sharing their love for Mr. Shakespeare's work. The only thing that was more apparent than their love for Shakespeare was the love that they had for each other. I don't know if any of you have been in the presence of a love like that, but it swallowed the entire room. Anyone could see that they were truly happy, and that gives me hope, and a goal...

- Cheers