Visiting the Bard

Abbey, a few friends and I visited the Bard Wednesday morning...or at least we visited his resident company in Cincinnati. Needless to say, seeing one of my favorite Jane Austen stories...which makes it one of my favorite stories ever...was a thrill and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company did not disappoint!

The best part? I'm tempted to say the $10.00 educational matinee tickets that would normally cost $28-32 for an evening performance...but I'll set that aside to admit that it was a great adaptation and portrayal of my beloved story of Elinor and MaryAnn Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility. I imagine it could be intimidating for any actor filling the shoes of prior successful portrayals such as Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, but the local company was superb. Also, there is not a bad seat in the house. The upstage area is elevated by a gradual slope just as it was in Shakespeare's day and the house is small so viewing from any seat is excellent.

If I had any complaints, it would be regarding the costuming. For an era when all clothes would have been tailor-made (especially those belonging to the "gentle" class), several of the dresses and coats looked far too big for many of the actors and actresses. That being said, I did enjoy the opulence and diverse array of costumes and how they did show the disparity in income even among the upper class. Last year's Pride and Prejudice did not do as well at this as I would have liked to see.

Abbey and I have recently begun volunteering at the Aronoff Center so we're having great opportunities to see amazing Broadway shows and excellently performed ballets on the "big stage". I admit, I think I prefer the intimacy of the smaller theatre. Most of these actors were also in Pride and Prejudice last year and the performances were consistently excellent.

So if you're in the mood for something a little different than a showy spectacular...try the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company for the classics. I don't think you'll be disappointed.