Oh to be among friends in the company of Shakespeare. Every once in a while my summer sister Kyle and I meet up for a “what do you think? shall we?” kind of weekend.   This time it was to see the closing show of BAMA Theater Company’s final performance of 12^th Night in New Brunswick, NJ.  Our dear friend David has been part of the company for some time and was playing the role of Orsino and Antonio.  This is a small company sprung from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival doing wonderful work.  Their tag line for 12^th Night;             

So each of the actors played multiple roles to an audience mixed with students, adults, parents, friends of actors and friends of the NJ State Theater Group in the lovely little Crossroads Theater.

Logistics can be tricky when it comes to Kyle and me meeting up.  Her friend Jan was supposed to join us but due to a wicked eye infection she had to stay back.  Back in Buffalo that is.   Of course the plane was delayed so lunch went into Plan B, no worries Kyle and I do Plan B better than most.  When I scoop her up (after going to the right terminal) I say what I always say to her after a long absence, “start talking”.  Catching up went from the car, to the hotel, to the bar, to dinner with David before his performance.

You’ve often heard me say that Kyle is the smartest woman I know, so add David, the self-proclaimed Shakespeare Nerd, and I very easily could have been left behind for the duration.  Not so my friends, not so fast.   I know enough about Shakespeare to be…not dangerous certainly…engaged.  I find him interesting but what I find more interesting is listening to impassioned people discuss the nuances, the back stories, the research they’ve done, the real Shakespeare.  That is riveting, no my head did not spin, no I didn’t make a fool of myself.  They would never let that happen such is their benevolence of the unenlightened woman that is me…

David’s opening speech includes one of the play’s most famous lines, as the unhappy, lovesick Orsino tells his servants and musicians, “If music be the food of love, play on.” In the speech that follows, Orsino asks for the musicians to give him so much musical love-food that he will overdose (“surfeit”) to rid himself of the need for love once and for all. I know this because I listened with intent to our dinner conversation, the introduction of the image of love as something unwanted, something that can’t be avoided.  Exploring concepts like imagination and reality.

I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and the after- show- continued- conversation- until- well- past- my- bedtime completed a perfect day.  I slept like the dead having appreciated, probably for the first time, Shakespeare’s genius, the passion of good friends for their lives and their work, and I learned so much.   I consider myself a lifelong learner and I relished being in good hands.

Breakfast brought more wonderful conversation.  Kyle and I have always loved good conversation, we banter and laugh and explore and probe and wonder and share better than most but there are moments, too, of quiet that have never been uncomfortable for either of us.  This friendship is blessed.

Coffee with David and we are headed back to the airport (yes I went to the right terminal this time) and off she went. ..neither of us really knowing when the next “what do you think? shall we?” moment might come again but confident in the knowledge that it will indeed turn up when we least expect it.