I didn’t know much about this “holiday” until my later college years when theatrical BYU students pranced around quoting Shakespeare all day. Unfortunately, this wasn’t really an odd occurrence so it took me a while to recognize the significance to the date.
When I returned back to Austin, I was surprised to find there was in fact a collection of celebrators who also embraced the holiday in the classiest of ways. They put on a Shakespeare show! Cast members would prepare and present various adaptations of the famed originals. It was brilliant! We sadly skipped this tradition last year and as it occurred to me this morning, it was sadly overlooked again. A true tragedy.
I remember past events: a controversial kiss between two friends in the climatic scenes of Romeo and Juliet that is still talked about. A ghettofied version of the Macbeth’s witches three and the hilariously driest delivery of Julies Cesar I’ve ever witnessed. One year, I was somehow volunteered to be Juliet in a quick and witty opener as co-emcee. I managed to miss the queue and it never started. Mid-festival people began to ask what happened to R&J, which coerced us onto the stage at the end. I hung longingly out of the balcony with a very clever script displayed on a laptop next to me. After my very passionate, “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou, Romeo,” the computer knocked over, the screen went blank and I was left to my own devices. Red-faced and totally clueless, I stumbled through what can only be described as the most technologically awkward Juliet of all time. “O Romeo, the screen has blanketh and my computer has faileth, but alas what is a rose by any other rose, other than rose.” Oh how I wish that were not a direct quote.
Shakespeare must have been rolling…in his grave. Alas, it was an offbeat hit, a very palpable hit. No doubt it will stand as one of my most memorable performances of all time.
Regardless of what lack of thespian talent existed, the Idles of March was always a wonderful experience. Great friends, beautiful art, hearty laughs and endearing memories. For someone like me who often overlooks the finer arts for fast paced modern tales, I will never forget those sweet moments when embracing classic tales of life, loss and love meant more to me than any cheesy romantic comedy.
So, Ides of March, thank you for the memories and little reminders of the beauty in written word, friends and life. After all, there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio.
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