May 14, 2011 The Cherry Orchard

View of Sommerset House from the National.
Photo by Andy

The National!
Photo by Andy

Today, everyone went to Portobello Road bright and early, but Andy and I stayed in to sleep. Little Andy hasn't been feeling well and I am completely worn out from the week. So, he and I spent the day like a lazy day in Salt Lake: food, Community, and more food.

He started to feel better when we went out walking so we decided to go see The Cherry Orchard at the National Theatre starring Zoe Wanamaker (her father, Sam Wanamaker, was responsible for the modern recreation of Shakespeare's Globe; she was Madame Hooch in the Harry Potter series).


OH. MY. GOD. What an amazing pick-me-up from the...ugh...the Stock Da'wa. What an amazing production in general. It is my second favorite live performance ever! Well, for now anyway. I still have a month left in London.

It is truly a miracle I loved it so much because I had the worst seat in the house: right in front of a telephone pole (the ONLY telephone pole on stage)...front row. But, the Chekhovian nature and sense of the play, the Uta Hagen work the actors did, and just the wise and captivating presences of the older actors made me forget it. I saw and experienced the beauty of aging--->wise and felt excited, knowing that I have so much more to learn!