Picto Diary - 10, 11 October 2017 - The Odyssey
Above: Bishop and Aunt Joyce lunch at Luna's, Ashland, Oregon with Perfesser (sic) to hear about his recently completed Fulbright research grant study in Oslo, Norway. 10 October 2017.
Perfesser's (sic) full report, to be issued December 2017, outlines ways to increase US and Russia cooperation to deal with Islamist terror. — with Joyce DeWitt at Luna Cafe + Mercantile.
"Merry Wives of Windsor."
William Shakespeare.
Allen Outdoor Theater. Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Ashland, OR. 10 October 2017.
True to form for OSF, gender bending roles and politically correct envelope pushing. Female, K.T. Vogt, plays Falstaff, with black beard and giant cod piece. Dr. Caius, failing to win the hand of Anne, settles for a man with whom he ends up in locked embrace.
Rock singing and dancing interludes. Adaptive, not representative.
Costumes "period impressionistic." Elizabethan gowns and Doc Martins.
Men played women's roles in Shakespeare,s time, so why not females playing male roles in our day?
Lots of explicit sexual gesture. I like it better when sexual allusion more subtle. Rife overt sexual expression and imagery today destroys the allure and the mystery of sex.
Otherwise, fun to watch. Animated. Colorful. Well executed.
Above: Bishop and Bob Peterson's cap. Oak Tree Restaurant. Ashland, OR. 11 October 2017.
Bob, a four year annual breakfast mate at Oak Tree, died at age 92, three years ago. Because he was a daily fixture at Oak Tree, the restaurant honored him by hanging is cap on a central support column.
Bob. WWII vet, RR worker, play-by-the rules, deplorable.
I miss Bob's company.
Bob was part of the glue.... hard working, honest, God-fearing, unrecognized deplorables... which underpinned American greatness.
OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL (OSF) Thomas Theater
Henry IV Part 2.
William Shakesprear.
Lowlife Falstaff and friends, are temporarily estranged from Hal, who left the scuzzy life in Eastcheap to victoriously lead father Bolingbrook (King Henry IV)'s troops in battle against the rebels at Shrewsbury.
Falstaff and friends see opportunity to regain Hal's favor as a new battle against the revived rebel group looms. Falstaff recruits a "menagerie" of new troops to support the cause.
Dying Bolingbrook is tormented by his thoughts of his deceitful usurpation of Richard II's throne.
Bolingbrook's second son, John of Lancaster, calls a truce with the rebels, and then deceitfully apprehends their leaders after their troops have already left the field.
Prodigal son Hal, killer of rebel Hotspur at Battle of Shrewsbury, ascends to throne as Henry V at death of his sick father.
New king Henry V banishes his old friends, including Falstaff (poignant to watch for this playgoer). Falstaff, having had high hopes for his future under Hal's kingship, is devastated by Hal's denial of old friendship.
Falstaff actor, Tyrone Wilson (Yale School of Drama) was terrific. Falstaff, scenes take up two thirds of the play time.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival. 11 October 2017.
THE ODYSSEY
HOMER
Allen Outdoor Theater
Hat tip: Aunt Joyce, for getting my Ashland visit set up.
Image is 16th century Greek text of Odyssey.
Milestone.
I read and studied Homer's ODYESSY, among cornerstone works in Western Culture (other cornerstones: Bible, Shakespeare), in Gladys Nelson's 11th grade AP English class at Provo High School in 1962.
Tonight (11 October 2017), 55 years later, for the first time, I saw the iconic play dramatized, at OSF.
3000 years old, adventure story.
Odysseus, King of Ithica, wants to return home, where he hopes his wife and son await, after ten years of fighting the Trojan War and another 10 years of being waylaid in his attempt to return home.
Unbeknownst to Odysseus while he is away, is that his wife is besieged by unruly suitors who have taken over Odysseus' Ithaca palace. After all, if Odysseus hasn't returned after 20 years, its likely that he won't be returning at all, right?
Wife, Penelope, and young son, Telemachus, are powerless to rid the palace of the suitors in Odysseus' absence. Despite the long 20 year period of her husband's absence, Penelope has fed and lodged the suitors, but has managed to remain true to Odysseus and resist their advances.
Odysseus recounts misadventures, dramatized in the play, suffered by him and his men, delaying his return: Captured and entombed by one eyed giant, Cyclops, son of Poseidan. Lost men to Lotus Eaters and their intoxicating flowers; Goddess Circe transformed many of his men into swine; Lured by Sirens with their bewitching song; challenged by Scilla, a 12 armed, six headed sea monster; waylaid by Charybdis, a giant whirl pool.
Odysseus and his men finally arrived at Godess Calypso's island, where Odysseus was captured and held as Calypso's sex slave.
After his release by Calypso under orders of Zeus and Athena, via God messenger Mercury, Odysseus arrives at the home of the Phaecians, whose gracious king, Alcinous, facilitates his return to Ithaca.
The play's/poem's denouement covers Odysseus' reunion with his family in Ithaca, including his father Laertes, and his ridding of his household of the aggressive suitors.
The play as presented this evening was adapted for modern stage by Tony Award winner and MacArthur fellowship winner, Mary Zimmerman, from the translation by Robert Fitzgerald. Zimmerman is the director of tonight's OSF presentation.
Odysseus is also a central character in Homer's prequel poem, "The Iliad." He was a respected general, 2nd only to Agamemnon, and was the brains behind the Trojan Horse, which allowed the Greeks to insert themselves behind the walls of Troy, and reign victorious over King Priam and the Trojans.
Taken at face value, Odysseus reminds a bit of Job. He had a lot of obstacles to overcome, some of which were put in his way by unfriendly gods. Unlike Job, however, divine intervention was behind his final escape from his ordeal and led to his successful reunion with his family.
In reality, Odysseus is a more complex character than meets the eye. Homer's Odysseus is a fine warrior and skilled athlete, but, what sets him apart from his comrades is his mind. Looking into the Iliad, he is found to be a schemer. He was unwilling to leave Ithaka to fight in Troy. He feigned madness, going so far to sow salt into his fields. During the Trojan War, he disguised himself as a beggar and snuck into Troy. There he gathered information and killed a number of the enemy before safely returning to his troops.
In later centuries, other Greek poets questioned Homer's admiration for Odysseus. Around the turn of the 6th century BC, the lyric poet Pindar recounted the dispute between Odysseus and the great warrior Ajax, who both lay claim to the armor of the fallen Achilles during the Trojan War. After Odysseus convinces everyone that he is more deserving, Ajax goes mad and kills himself.
Other Greek poet/philosophers, Sophocles for example, were critical of Odysseus proclivity for ends-justify-the-means behavior.
The production was well executed... which is the norm at OSF. The play was "owned" by the lead actor, who played Odysseus, Christopher Donahue.
I enjoyed being reconnected to a three thousand year old story that is one of the principal lynch pins of Western Culture.
Addendum:
I'm afraid that you might be disappointed. Hotel Nevada cafe/coffee shop, which was a favorite of mine, has been replaced by a Denny's. On my last holiday to Ely, in June, we searched out other dining options. No reason to even step into the hotel now.
The best deplorable food ever is still served at Nevada Hotel, Ely, Nevada.
Guzzi,
Park City, UT
Gettin' better !
Brand,
Ventura, CA