Pam Webb

a writer's journey as a reader

Archive for the tag “entertainment”

21 Aug 2024
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Bard Bits: Hamletized


Summer events that create a more memorable season start with graduation ceremonies. Toss in at least one wedding or a wedding reception along with a church picnic, add in the county fair, include a bit of company to round it all out.

While those events add some pizazz to the summer months, I do count on Shakespeare in the Park. The one day performance arrives in the middle of August and I stop, drop whatever I’ve planned, and position my camp chair on the lawn at the designated park venue and for two hours I revel in Shakespeare.

This year The Montana Shakespeare in the Parks presented their two hour adaptation of Hamlet. Their version focused on what seemed to be Edwardian costume style adding a reserved aspect which offset the emphasis on pulling in the comedic components of the play. I never considered Hamlet a comedy; then again some of lines are quite witty when said with panache.

All the world’s a stage or at least a park is for a summer evening

I didn’t become aware of Hamlet until I began teaching high school English. In fact, I wasn’t aware of Shakespeare until I began teaching his plays. That’s right. Somehow twelve years of public schooling and six years of college and no Shakespeare classes. Shocking, I know.

Once I discovered the tragic Dane there was no turning back. Not only did I teach Hamlet, I set out to watch every version available (still trying to find Jude Law’s Broadway version). One year I flew back to Washington DC to join 29 other teachers for a week of Hamlet Academy at the Folger Library. I then went on to write a choose-your-own path Hamlet, and created the play as a contemporary murder mystery.

Yes, I have become Hamletized and I am okay with that.

Which Shakespeare play has grabbed your attention to the point of almost unreasonable fascination?

Posted in education, humor, plays, Reflections, Shakespeare, summer and tagged , , ,
18 Jan 2016
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Juggling a Couple of Goals


I have adopted June’s line from Knight and Day as my own: “She has skills.” I don’t have June’s skills for punching, shooting, and recklessly driving, although I’m not sure I actually want those skills. I am working on acquiring skills that might actually be more useful, you know, like juggling and playing the harmonica. Excuse me, was that a snicker in the back row?

Whilst in college I would earn extra summer money as a camp counselor. Great gigs, by the way–room and board paid for, new friends, all sorts of fun activities, and it’s a bonus that it’s working with kids. One year I signed up for counseling at the Marrowstone Music Festival, which is the music camp for very talented young musicians who hope to audition for a spot in the Seattle Youth Symphony, or are working on improving their virtuoso. At this camp were twin brothers and could they juggle. I think playing music was their second talent. In between music classes they gave demonstrations and workshops. I wholeheartedly jumped in line to learn how to juggle. After several attempts, they came to this conclusion: there are a few people in this world who are juggle-challenged and I am one of them. Disheartened, I did not give up and continued my desire to learn how to juggle.

We all know that wishes remain wishes unless action is attached.

About six years ago I purchased a beginner’s juggling set at Target (love their dollar section).

Mine are red, blue, and yellow

morguefile image: pennywise

On December 31st, yes of 2015, I finally got around to trying them out. It’s not easy getting over the label of being juggling challenged.

The book from the library was no real help, as pictures don’t really express the proper cadence and motion of keeping it all up in the air and forming patterns. It did, however,  have a fascinating section on the history of juggling:

  •  Juggling dates back 4,000 years
  • Greek art and Egyptian paintings show “juggers”
  • Beginning of the 19th century saw juggling being part of the entertainment circuit
  • One popular juggler, Enrico Rastelli, died in 1931 from a infected cut caused by his mouth stick, and thousands of people attended his funeral
  • W.C. Fields juggled early in his career, being known as the “Eccentric Tramp Juggler”
  • The Flying Karamzov Brothers, known as talented jugglers, sometimes toured with The Grateful Dead
  • Juggling now incorporates dance and a variety of props and techniques that has it elevated as a respectable art form

I’m still figuring out balls–rings?

morguefile image: sideshowmom

As of this post, I have yet to perfect my three ball cascade, but I do have my two ball catch fairly smooth. TIP of the Day: practice over a bed–less chasing of props…

Posted in Americans, humor, Reflections, Writing and tagged , ,

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