Two bittersweet theatre trips these past few weeks. Scheduling snafus mean I will miss the next two months of Common Room – so if you’ve always wanted to go without the risk of bumping into me, now’s your chance. Meanwhile, here are my final updates for a while…
Four is a well-acted revival of a 1998 play. It’s a quiet, unflashy piece about two couples getting to know each other – a dose of realism without becoming banal – very ‘theatre’, in a good way. The theatre group made a big deal of the fact that in the mid-1990s no one had recourse to a smartphone during an awkward conversation, but I was actually more struck that no gay relationship in theatre avoided at least a passing reference to AIDS. It feels like a very long time ago now. I also saw The Capitano Must Die, an Italian commedia dell’arte (think masked comedy with a generous dose of bawdy slapstick) which has absolutely no interest in realism whatsoever, but is funny and jolly and quite wonderful too.
I also hosted the second instalment of the Salon, inviting a bunch of great folks round for Indian takeaway and Four Lions. It’s at least my third time watching this film, and I still love it. It’s not even particularly discussion-worthy or controversial or meaningful. It’s just great.
I’ll leave you with this photo from one evening at a Cuban restaurant, during the brief window where Chicago experienced spring and it was possible to eat outside. Suits me, though, because tonight I’m flying to Austin. Can’t wait 😀
Michele, Randi and Robert
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