The absolute highlight of the show on this rainy evening?
Having this friend with me to share the experience!!!
Sure, I would have enjoyed seeing the Richmond Hill Community Theatre troupe in action, as I have in the past - sure I would have.
But being there with Yvonne made it sparkle a bit brighter, especially with rain trying to dampen the occasion.
Forty-plus years of friendship with most definitely make that happen!
So, just what was going on out there?
Titled "Writers Runaround", the performance consisted of a series of six skits, each with writers from the past in a modern setting with today's technology playing a part.
The first one, which was reprised as the sixth, was called "Happy Hour", set in a sports bar with big-screen TVs drawing their attention.
Who are "they"?
From left to right, that's Oliver Wilde (Christy Schultz), Jane Austen (Laura Ross), Dorothy Parker (Kelly McDavid), and Ernest Hemingway (Kenneth Pereira).
When we tuned in, 'Dorothy' was getting pickled with martinis, 'Ernest' was hoping for bullfighting on TV, and the topic was "Star Wars" and which movies had been the best of the six that came to cinema.
Hahahahaha! Really was a lot of fun!
Of course the chatter had drifted to other topics from there in the first skit, but circled back to 'Bobofet' before it wrapped up.
In the sixth skit, they again talked of "Star Wars", but also about the movies made from their books and how much they'd disliked them.
'Jane' was especially irate about "Sense And Sensibility" - which makes me wonder what she would think of the new version coming out!
(smile!)
The second skit pitted Homer against his agent in "Homer Nods".
As I told Yvonne, I know my ex would have laughed at this one!
'Homer' (Lisa Marie Tyler) had come in person to speak with 'Penelope' (Brianne Shuman) because the agent was ignoring her phone messages.
Imagine that!
Of course the woman's phone rang incessantly with other clients, showing that the phone itself wasn't the problem.
And just what did the writer want to discuss?
Writing "
The Odyssey", which the agent loved because it was a sequel to Homer's first hit, "The Iliad" - and "the public loves sequels!"
(smile!)
The third skit was definitely the favorite of both of us.
Perhaps partly it was because both of us had experience with online dating, back about 17 years ago.
Kudos to Jeff Harding and Kelsey Ingram for bringing them to life so well!
In the skit, her younger sister had set up an online dating profile for her that matched the two death-obsessed poets, with the ideal first-date meeting place as a cemetery.
And I contend that the two might have met, as both lived in Massachusetts and both were alive in an overlapping time frame.
What if, when his wife died in 1847, when he was 38 years old, he had been approached about meeting with the 17-year-old poetess?
From his viewpoint, she would be the right age, as he and his wife had wed when she was only 13; from her stance, younger women frequently were set up with older men as possible husbands.
Perhaps Poe might have lived a bit longer if he'd had Dickinson in his life.
As it was, he died in 1849, just 40 years old.
Dickinson never married and died in 1886 as a 55-year-old spinster.
Ah, the thoughts I think sometimes!
(smile!)
Four women took turns unfolding the rumpled papers from the trash can, revealing that spam mail has lasted through the centuries!
"Dear Occupant", "Dear Tenant", "Dear Resident" - hahahaha!
Plus there were missives from his mom, his 'shrew', his mistress!
Also entreaties from his buddies to join them at this pub, that eatery, his play!
Then there were the dunning notices about late rent, late utility payments, late this, that, and the other.
But there were also the rejection letters from theaters, other troupes, other venues in other towns, with several suggesting "Hamlet" was terrible, and such a terrible name it had, too!
Yes, that was much fun, enlightened by having four voices!
(smile!)
"Penguin Encounter" was the only other play that didn't have an actual writer as one of the characters.
It was also the most modern, even though it didn't feature any technology.
Instead, we watched as a former couple, 'Ernie' and 'Rita' meet at a library that is giving away remaindered books that had been donated by
the publisher.
As remaindered products, all of the books were missing half their front covers, to prevent them from being sold.
'Ernie' (Tony Castellano) had discovered to his delight that the half-covers led to some very funny puns, like "A Tale Of... Charles" and "Jane... Mansfield" and "Gone With The... Margaret" - hahahaha!
Eventually, 'Rita' (Chancey Doyle) loosened up and got into the game, too, finding one she knew he would like - "A Farewell To... Ernest" - but he was already gone.
That was quite a bittersweet ending that I rather liked.
(smile!)
What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday evening, and for only $10!
Hopefully, their next show at the Richmond Hill City Center will be a matinee, as neither of us like driving in the dark.
But my sweet little Saturn wanted to let me know that this had been one of those "
right place, right time" instances.
The mileage on the odometer when I parked in my driveway?
247568... sure looks like a winning poker hand to me!!!
(smile!)
