Nov 14 2012
The Play’s the Thing
Just two short days after the election, I set off in the deep rural darkness to see a political thriller.
You’d think I would have had enough political thrills and chills that week, but you’d be wrong.
My brilliant co-worker at the jobette – the same one who predicted the election results and the Giants’ World Series win – was the director. The play was Farragut North, the play that the George Clooney movie The Ides of March was based on.
As I made my way from the car to the theater, I made a mental note to keep a flashlight in my handbag at all times. I couldn’t see where I was walking, and there was no Jessica to guide me. I have to admit that I find driving in the darkness a nerve-wracking experience – one I now face at least four days a week, since I work much later and winter is pretty much here. There are no streetlights even on the highway, and it’s like driving in a pocket, though the stars are starry.
It had been two years – almost exactly to the day – since I went to the theater (that time I went with the fabulous Erica and Jessica to see the musical adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline in the fabulous City), so it was high time.
I gave my name at the box office and was given my ticket without having to spell my name, a rarity in my life. I was also ushered elegantly to my front row seat, and I barely had time to get settled before the lights went down and the magic began.
I was immediately drawn into the action and the story. Being so close made me feel like I was part of it, and that it was happening right in front of me. I was shocked when the lights came up after the first act, and brought me back to reality for fifteen minutes. The cast was wonderful, and the play really made me think, as well as laugh out loud and appreciate the artistry of the actors.
It was an enchanted evening.