One for All, and All for an Eternity

Saw the SC Shakespeare Company's production of The Three Musketeers, which was kinda eh acting-wise, and seemed to last forever. It was one of those productions where I found myself sending all manner of mental energy to bring it to a conclusion.

But maybe the problem was me.

I've been going to these things for years, but this mobile phone pic illustrates the typical problem. One is that it's held in an amphitheater in Finlay Park with these birch trees obstructing the view. I'm all for preserving natural beauty, but I kept thinking, one chainsaw, five minutes tops, it would be so easy...

Another is that unless you bring a chair -- which, yes, I really should have done -- you sit on these concrete steps where it is impossible to get situated. Maybe if the comfort factor was higher I would have found the show delightful.

The best actor was the guy who played Richelieu; he was the only one who made lofty speech sound natural, which is really the trick when you're doing these kind of period plays, to not sound like you come from Irmo. And you have to laugh right, too. Plays such as this always have big, brawny, lusty men with tankards of ale who are always required to laugh heartily as they deliver some quip or another, and those laughs can just sound so loud and obnoxious.

I've loved certain of this company's productions in the past. This fall they're doing The Winter's Tale, my favorite of Shakespeare's later years. It'll give me an excuse to read it again. And I'll bring a chair.