Last night I attempted to bring a little culture into our hum-drum lives by taking my family to the annual Shakespeare Festival in Forest Park. Every year they put on one of Shakespeare's plays (this year it is Hamlet) in the park free of charge. Before the show, they have several activities for kids and grown-ups alike. The kids got to make either a mask or a crown.
(I had a better picture of the kids coloring, but decided it would be more fun to immortalize the nose-picking peasant woman.)
Behind Chloe you can barely see the "green show" production of Hamlet. Five actors perform every character in the play and the whole show lasts 20 minutes. Best. Hamlet. Ever.
(I chose to put our blanket on the side of the stage facing the sun. I chose poorly. Miles was too cool for Shakespeare.)
After the kids made their masks, watched jugglers and belly dancers, ran around with their friends, ate snacks while watching 20-minute Hamlet (grinning from ear to ear every time there was a sword fight), and watched a lady dance with fire batons on her head I announced it was time to go. As we walked to the car, Chloe wailed, "I thought we were going to do something fun!" Harrison piped in, "Yeah! We didn't get to do anything fun!" This is a little ritual we go through every time we do something fun and then we have to leave. They always think there is more fun to be had. Sorry, kids. That's as fun as a Shakespeare Festival gets.
7 Wisecracks:
Personally, I'm jealous. I'm ticked I have to drive 3 hours to get to a Shakespeare Festival and then pay a buttload of money to see anything. Lucky you. And 20 minute Hamlet? Truly, awesome.
yay! You went...like how I said "hey, we are going to go" and then don't show up? By 6pm Alison was done. Glad you had the best hamlet ever.
That 20 minute Hamlet sounds awesome. I admire your initiative to give your kids some culture.
Seriously, Wendy! I thought to myself, "If Wendy can be brave enough to take her kids sans husband, I should be able to get off my bum and take my family." Thanks for the inspiration! I think it's still going on for the next two weeks.
So it's not just my kids??
We just had to have a family night lesson on gratitude because this issue has become a tad ridiculous in our home.
Thankfully we really got through to them...for 10 minutes
Oy Vey!!
Next time after the short play take them to the hill past the porta-potties for Juggling Jeff's super-duper juggling show. It's the highlight of my kids' evening. It might even be a highlight of Elena's year. He's really funny.
Too bad for the nose picking peasant woman - now immortalized forever. That is a very awesome box of crayons, I want it! How can kids see a box of crayons like that and then complain of no fun?
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