It is Sunday morning and the first thing I do is choose my favorite sections of the newspaper. To be honest with you the real first thing I do is make a Latte. I am talking “old media” newspaper that someone throws in your drive way, you retrieve first thing in the morning wearing your robe and slippers, as you let the dog out. One day this will be a lost art. Latte in hand, I sit at the kitchen table the newspaper in front of and laptop off to the side. This way I don’t miss a beat since I have found that many of the articles in the paper now refer to websites and I can look them up or do research as I read.
Some weekends I crave a quick “free” inspirational getaway, since I am at home all week. Most of the time it is an “It’s You and Me” event, meaning Ollie the dog is my companion. Last weekend I was lucky there were two great on-going events that allowed dogs you should know about. Both are in Marin County, which made me happy that I did not have to travel far or cross a bridge.
First event, I am not a Shakespeare buff, but I do enjoy the theatre, Shakespeare in Old Mill Park. This is the Curtain Theatre Company’s 11th. season and this year they are presenting “As You Like It”. I brought Ollie and we stayed for the first half which is 1.5 hours, then there is a 10 minute intermission and the second half is 1 hour. I will go back and see the second half, I did not think Ollie would make it through another hour. What a lovely escape sitting under the redwoods watching Shakespeare with your dog sitting next to you. The plays starts at 2:00, there is live music (a trio) and the costumes, set and acting were all wonderful. The production is Free and continues every weekend, Labor Day Monday through September 19. Below are photos I took of the production with my trusty phone:
Some historical background information about The Curtain Theatre Company from the program:
“The Curtain Theate is named after one of London’s first public theatres. Built near the Curtain Close in Shoreditch, it was described in Shakespeare’s Henry V as the “wooden O”. The Curtain was home to Shakespeare’s company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, until they constructed the Globe in 1599. Like our own Curtain Theatre, the 1577 original featured an open-air stage and conspicuous absence of curtains.”
The production is in the amphitheatre behind the library in Old Mill Park which is quite intimate. If you’re determined to really watch and listen to the play word for word, I suggest sitting in the chairs nearest to the stage. The back rows are where the families sit and can also be transient with people coming and going. It is a free outdoor venue, in a local park and people tend to meander in and then meander out, it is all apart of the loose ambiance. Don’t forget to bring an extra sweater or jacket it can get chilly under the redwoods.
The last picture in the Gallery above is at the Corte Madera Town Center. After we left the play we stopped at the TC where there is free live music on Sunday afternoons. People were tapping their feet and dancing. Ollie was ready to go home, I guess he had enough. Sometimes he is not the best partner. I don’t know how long the concerts at the Town Center will continue.
How do you spend your weekend afternoons when you need to get away but don’t want to go far or spend a lot of money?
