Savoring Summer Part Two

 A local favorite, and admittedly a traditional family favorite as well, is the Greenshow.  This accompanies the Shakespeare Festival that has just begun this year in our city.  Small, but charming, the Greenshow is filled with actors frolicking and musicians music making.  We bring chairs and quilts and nestle under the old trees prepared to be entertained.

I grew up watching the various themes of the show each year;  being spellbound by the precarious egg dance, the impressive sword dance,  and the actresses mightily screeching "female virility"  at the top of their lungs (hilarious, but not politically correct twenty years later it seems).

I feel so lucky to pass this little delight on to my children.  We can't help but purchase a simple sucker or bag of humbug" candy for ourselves--sometimes even indulging in a summerberry tart sold by a nice chap with a basket and fake British accent.

Soon, the show begins.  The filtered evening light provides the gorgeous atmosphere, as does the crowd with ready smiles and clapping hands.

Gone are the days of the competitions between the men and women, but the cute (and innuendo filled) sketches remain. 

Tonight's show featured a talking (and singing) dog, which was my boys favorite character.  Spoiler alert!  Turns out at the end that he wasn't a real dog.  We.  Were.  Shocked.  :)

It helps if you come with an open attitude.  The players like to pull unsuspecting people out of the crowd to help them dance, sing, or to generally make them blush as much as possible.  Tyson refused to get up and dance.  Perhaps next time?

This is my sweet auntie, who loves this show even more than I do.  She brought the boys to campus when the actors were rehearsing.  They all got to be good friends. 

And now to show you around:  the hanging plants filled with coleus, potato vines, and flowers.

The historic Shakespeare Theatre in the round.  Soon to be outdated by a new and improved Theatre complete with retractable roof.  We may or may not have been in plays that were rained out half way through. 

Alas, we did not have tickets to the play tonight.  But no matter, we could cool off in the fountain instead. 

Dusty also may have fallen into this fountain when he was eight.  It's either his word or his mother's.

All in all, a perfect way to spend a summer evening.