New subject: Camp Shakespeare

18 Jul 2012

yes, a very sweet little building...i have not been inside

--- On Wed, 7/18/12, Bouler, John &lt;john.bouler(a)intel.com&gt; wrote:

From: Bouler, John &lt;john.bouler(a)intel.com&gt;
Subject: RE: [Winedale-l] Camp Shakespeare
To: "aubrey carter" &lt;aubreycarter(a)sbcglobal.net&gt;
Cc: &quot;winedale-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org 1970-2000alums"
&lt;winedale-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org&gt;
Date: Wednesday, July 18, 2012, 12:50 PM

Aubrey, 
Thanks for sending this along. I always smile as I pass by this place, but have never
stopped to check it out. Has anyone actually been inside? 
--mark 

From: winedale-l-bounces(a)lists.wikimedia.org
[mailto:winedale-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org]
On Behalf Of aubrey carter

Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 9:01 PM

To: aubrey carter

Cc: winedale-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org 1970-2000alums

Subject: Re: [Winedale-l] Camp Shakespeare 

this is "the world's smallest catholic church" between La Grange and
Roundtop...also quite beautiful. 

On Jul 17, 2012, at 10:45 PM, aubrey carter &lt;aubreycarter(a)sbcglobal.net&gt; wrote: 

Michael, your comments are right on regarding Macbeth. I must say that I understood the
play better after this performance than ever before; the stripped-down rationalizing
rationale of hubris crumbling before spiritual doubt...I found
 myself mouthing what the actors were saying. 

Also, the place itself was magic when I drove in Friday evening. Everything was green from
deluge and the sunset was cutting so sharply sideways on the red clay road. It seemed very
easy to enter the place where you join a play. 

Thanks to Doc and his amazing players for a fantastic night. 

Aubrey

On Jul 17, 2012, at 5:39 PM, "Barker, Michael"
&lt;Michael_Barker(a)spe.sony.com&gt; wrote: 

Well, dear friends, I had the most incredible experience on Saturday celebrating the 10th
Anniversary of Camp Shakespeare. 
Kathy drove (thank you, Kathy) with Stan, Malcolm and myself arriving at 1030 am. 
There was a brunch under the trees at the picnic tables and then all the alums formed a
semi circle and individuals did speeches from a variety of plays they
 had performed in the past.  Each one  was staggering. The spirit of each character was so
full.  I’ve never seen a Rosalind so energetic,  Benedick’s speech to Claudio was never so
humorous,  Jacques so wise and melancholy,  Touchstone so free spirited, etc. 
One graduate played Hamlet’s father’s ghost and I had no idea how powerful that speech
 could be out of the  context of the play.  When he finished that short
 speech, I felt every action that was to follow in the play.   One of the students, I
believe he is ten, did a Dogberry soliloquy that defies description.  Doc said the boy’s
name and he came bursting into the middle of the semicircle ready to go.  Doc started
 describing who he was which prevented him from starting and the kid kept looking at Doc
for the go ahead, chomping at the bit.  The boy was like the road runner  ready to go at
the starting line waiting for the gun to go off, but Doc wasn’t letting him just 
 yet.  Doc said “go” and I’m telling you this kid is not human, he’s a force of nature. 
He captured a complex very human Dogberry that was also larger than life that I didn’t
think possible. 

These kids, both in the speeches before the performance and during the performance of
Macbeth, not only have command of the language, but they put us all to
 shame in the areas of projection and articulation. 
Now I come to the performance  of Macbeth.  Wow. 
This was a Macbeth that had more action than Pulp Fiction. 
It moved like lightning and was as engaging and as full a meal as any fine production of
Shakespeare in my  memory. 
The act of watching them play the parts was an act of almost doing it with them.   What I
saw here is what we experienced in Winedale when I was there in 73,
 74, and 75.   The performances grew out of knowledge of the text and the play,  but also
their individual performances grew organically  out of aspects of Shakepeare’s characters
that spoke to these kids’  own  individual personalities.  Playing these characters
 came from deep within their world view as living people in the 21st century.  What gets
me is they are better than all of us ever were (sorry).   Too bad they have to become
inhibited adults who  panic when they forget their lines and constantly
 choose the literal over free imagination.   The most important thing is they were having
a ball. These young people had confidence because they know they are doing something so
accomplished, beyond what most people can do or have the opportunity to do.  The
 passion and sincerity of these kids blow me away.  Their power of persuasion in direct
communication with the audience is staggering. 

Let’s start with the witches.  Every scene with the witches grew in intensity with more
and more at stake until the peak scene before the battle in the second
 act.  This was a seamless dramatic progression.  Who would have thought that it  would be
totally appropriate to have one of the witches wearing red framed glasses (Bob Pees’
daughter).  At the very end when the witches follow Malcolm in victory in a ghostly
 fashion, it really gaies you the chills.  Be careful, what you wish for Malcolm, old
buddy,  when you get that much power it’s the beginning of the end.   Macbeth was
extremely dashing and perfectly nuanced in his performance.  But let’s talk Lady Macbeth.
 Here we have an actress who is so good she expresses the emotions of each line with her
eyes, her fluttering eyebrows, and shuddering eyelids. Unbelievable.  How on earth does
someone do that.  She was a perfectl  Lady Macbeth ( Doc and JoAnn’s granddaughter).
  It was hard to believe the lovely, sweet girl I met before the performance could be so
bad news an hour later on the stage.  I could go on about everyone,  because they all had
strengths,  from the genuine passion of the girl who played Hecate to the guy
 who played MacDuff.  Here I have to pause,  MacDuff blew me away.  When is the last time
you heard someone say that.  He became such a major character in the way this fellow
played it.  The emotions he expressed were so raw and genuine that the death of his
 wife and son became simply intolerable when you looked into his face.    The anguish in
his voice and face and body upon hearing this news, you knew Macbeth was a goner.  Oscars
have been won for less.   Then there was the swordfight between Macbeth and Macduff. 
 The sword clashing was so intense I had to cover  my ears (I certainly couldn’t cover my
eyes, I didn’t want to miss anything).  I was so sure one of those swords was headed
straight for my face that I couldn’t believe Doc would allow such danger.   That’s
 when it all came back to me.  The risks you take at Winedale, the risks of failure, the
happiness in triumph.   Astonishing.   The tears came to all of us giving those kids and
Doc that standing ovation. 
Viva Camp Shakespeare, viva Doc, viva the Barn. 
I’m so appreciative for all of it. 

Great to see so many of you this weekend (Jeff, Laura, Madge, Jerald, Susan).

Thank you all from the past, present, and now this weekend  I have even seen the future.
 In the context of Winedale it is all good. 
Sincerely, michael 

From:
winedale-l-bounces(a)lists.wikimedia.org
[mailto:winedale-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org]
On Behalf Of James Ayres

Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2012 10:15 PM

To: winedale-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org 1970-2000 alums

Subject: [Winedale-l] Camp Shakespeare 

Something wicked this way comes.  For sure!  The kids will be performing
Macbeth Friday the 13th!  big time magic!  at 7.  and on Saturday at 1.  Both at Winedale.
 Brunch at 10 before performance if you can join us.  Michael Barker is coming so be there
or .....   Kirsten, Kathy, Jayne, Craig, and Joy can tell you about
Much Ado.  It was great to have them cheering the kids on.  The Friday night performance
of
ADO was very close to being the best at Winedale since the Camp Sh '08 
Hamlet.   

So, once again, here is your invitation to join us at Winedale for another special moment.
 Please e-mail me for reservations.  Please do not make them on line with UT.  When you do
that, I receive the notice about one hour before the performance.
 That service does not communicate well.  I would like more advance notice so I can save
you special seats. 

Bob Pees daughter, Jessica will bewitching all of us.  And my granddaughter, Paxton, will
ladymacbething it. 

We're excited.  Our 10th anniversary. 

Cheers, 

Doc 

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