A Midsummer Night...

Tonight's adventure was with two friends to Woodland Park in Seattle to take in a showing of Shakespeare in the Park. This summer's shows are The Comedy of Errors and King John. We were treated to The Comedy of Errors. The show is conducted by GreenStage, the company in Seattle that conducts Shakespeare in the Park during the summer.

Prior to the 7 p.m. showing a visit to QFC had produced fried chicken, an Asian-inspired cucumber salad "new today," (get some...it's fabulous), a baguette, and rocky road brownies. Oh...and Twizzlers...because I must chomp on a couple...or three. Sidebar: This tradition hails from summer days at the local amusement park back East that ended with us sitting under the stars eating Twizzlers through fireworks set to patriotic tunes and all the way home.

Arriving at Woodland Park a good while before the show we promptly wandered around for a quarter hour looking for "just south of the lawn bowling area." Said location was not found and instead we decided to commence with the picnic. Blankets were spread and the food was enjoyed while we watched runners, Bocce players, dog walkers, and families enjoying the beautiful summer evening. We also closely observed people carrying chairs, picnics, and blankets for clues about where the play would be held.

Note about the play's location: Woodland Park has various entrances and many open green spaces, but to find the precise open green space on which GreenStage performs enter at the 60th and Aurora Avenue (Highway 99) entrance. There was plenty of parking and close bathrooms.

Without giving anything away but providing some idea of what's to come, The Comedy of Errors is about two sets of identical twins, someone in a country he doesn't belong in, and various and assorted other characters. At various times the cast became part of the audience, making for a fun evening.

Shakespeare in the Park happens at about eight different parks this year, including Volunteer, Magnuson, Fall City, Lower Woodland (where we went), and Discovery. If you want to go, check out this link to find one: http://www.greenstage.org/2009/performance-calendar.

I shall leave you with a quote from the play: "Every why hath a wherefore." Act II, Scene II