This year, Steve and I again attended the Oberlin Summer Theater Festival plays. We got to see two out of three of this summer's season. Unfortunately, with our schedule, we won't be able to see the Diary of Anne Frank. I definitely recommend the series. The plays are free, but reservations are encouraged. Plus, the ticket stubs can get you discounts at many of the restaurants in town.
We saw Shakespeare's Twelfth Night two weeks ago. The stage was fairly minimal, just some columns and a trap door. The background was amazing though. The production made great use of a projected image of the sea and storms. Although some may find iambic pentameter daunting, the acting is so superb that the intent of the words is transmitted and easily understandable.
Today we saw Light Up the Sky. It's a comedy in three acts about putting on a play in the 1940s. Many of the same actors were also in Twelfth Night. I would call this show a comedy of manners. You have all these strong, bombastic personalities, the actress, the producer, the director, and a young playwright. Their moods shift rapidly back and forth depending on the perceived status of their play. You don't actually get to see the play within the play, but it sounds grandiose and confusing. The entire show's action is set in the Boston Ritz Carlton Hotel. It was a little slow to start, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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