Dear blog,
I haven't forgotten about you, I've just been consumed by school and work. In April I shall return!
I haven't forgotten about you, I've just been consumed by school and work. In April I shall return!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The Time Traveler's Wife
When I read The Time Traveler's Wife for the first time, it was when I first considering becoming a librarian. And honestly, it probably influenced my decision. The novel's chronologically challenged main character Henry is a librarian. Near the beginning of the book, future Henry gives younger Henry a tour of the Chicago Field Museum. First he shows his young self a room filled with dead birds that will be displayed in the museum. Then they go to the Field Museum's library and view Audubon's Birds of America. On looking at the book Henry states: "we begin again at the beginning and page slowly through the birds, so much more alive than the real thing in glass tubes down the hall" (Niffenegger, 2003: 35). And isn't that just so wonderful?! I think that that it so well illuminates one of the most beautiful things about books.
But The Time Traveler's Wife isn't a book about books, and interestingly it's focus isn't really science fiction. It is a timeless (in more ways than one) love story, beautifully and tragically written. If you haven't read it check it out!
References
Niffenegger, A. (2003). The Time Traveler's Wife. MacAdam/Cage Publishing
But The Time Traveler's Wife isn't a book about books, and interestingly it's focus isn't really science fiction. It is a timeless (in more ways than one) love story, beautifully and tragically written. If you haven't read it check it out!
References
Niffenegger, A. (2003). The Time Traveler's Wife. MacAdam/Cage Publishing
Friday, February 4, 2011
Stratford Gold
Alright, so yes I am so obsessed with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival that one of my favourite books is Stratford Gold: 50 Years, 50 Stars, 50 Conversations- a book filled with interviews led by Richard Ouzounian with 50 of Stratford's most recognizable stars, published to commemorate the Stratford Festival's 50th season in 2002.
In fact I was so enchanted with this book that when I first read it, after reading only the first seven or so entries I published a Facebook note sharing the best of what I had read so far, now that's commitment...Anyways to demonstrate how lovely this book is, below I am going to share just a few of my favourite quotes-this time from the whole book!
But I truly recommend reading it yourself because it is filled with pages and pages of wonderful memories of the Stratford Festival through time.
Any memories of early rehearsals?
William Hutt: my first memory was Richard III. I played a very small part, the keeper of the jail, Brakenbury, and the first time I actually got to open my mouth, and say something in rehearsal, I clearly remember thinking, "I've got to show them that I can speak Shakespeare". So I bellowed it, and in that vast building that was echo-crazy, the noise was deafening. And I remember a rather startled look on Alec Guinness's face and his eyes shifted exactly to where Tony Guthrie was standing...and I think Tony made some politic remark like "We don't need quite so much voice boy. Thank you very much" (Ouzounian, 2002: 25-26).
Irene Worth: We went...with pure blind faith. And why not? Tom Patterson had faith...I remember the afternoon when the whole town of Stratford came out to welcome us, and we stood on top of a hill, and shook hands with, I think everybody in the town of Stratford (Ouzounian, 2002: 54).
Do you have a sing memory that sums up Stratford for you?
Irene Worth: The swans...Early one spring, I came back and I made Bill Needles come with me and we had to pick up swansdown. I was determine to have a Stratford swansdown pillow. We picked up all the swansdown and I, I still have that old swansdown pillow. It's small but it's Stratford (Ouzounian, 2002: 57).
Colm Feore: Well, I have to be honest with you. Everything I have, Shakespeare gave me, And I got it from Shakespeare by being allowed to stay here long enough through think and thin. John Hirsch, God rest his soul, believed in me when I was simply really bad. I mean I was most happy as the Officer in The Comedy of Errors, a part with no lines but a very nice outfit. The rest of it was a mystery to me. I'd spent three years at the National Theatre School but it hadn't sunk in (Ouzounian, 2002: 320).
Antoni Cimolino: I came here when I was a high school kid and the first thing I remember about the Stratford Festival was how smart I felt as I left. I felt that the room became so small, this huge room-I was seated way up there in the gods... and looking down at all these people, and as the play started, I got all the jokes. All of the stuff that seemed impenetrable in the classroom, I totally understood and I wasn't alone...so I left feeling taller, more alive than I'd ever felt in my life (Ouzounian, 2002: 359).
So that's only a very limited selection from this book, I highly recommend looking into it yourself. And for those of you getting sick of my constant blatherings over Stratford, next week my post will be Stratford free.
References
Ouzounian, R. (2002). Stratford Gold 50 years, 50 starts, 50 conversations. McArthur and Company, Toronto.
In fact I was so enchanted with this book that when I first read it, after reading only the first seven or so entries I published a Facebook note sharing the best of what I had read so far, now that's commitment...Anyways to demonstrate how lovely this book is, below I am going to share just a few of my favourite quotes-this time from the whole book!
But I truly recommend reading it yourself because it is filled with pages and pages of wonderful memories of the Stratford Festival through time.
Any memories of early rehearsals?
William Hutt: my first memory was Richard III. I played a very small part, the keeper of the jail, Brakenbury, and the first time I actually got to open my mouth, and say something in rehearsal, I clearly remember thinking, "I've got to show them that I can speak Shakespeare". So I bellowed it, and in that vast building that was echo-crazy, the noise was deafening. And I remember a rather startled look on Alec Guinness's face and his eyes shifted exactly to where Tony Guthrie was standing...and I think Tony made some politic remark like "We don't need quite so much voice boy. Thank you very much" (Ouzounian, 2002: 25-26).
Irene Worth: We went...with pure blind faith. And why not? Tom Patterson had faith...I remember the afternoon when the whole town of Stratford came out to welcome us, and we stood on top of a hill, and shook hands with, I think everybody in the town of Stratford (Ouzounian, 2002: 54).
Do you have a sing memory that sums up Stratford for you?
Irene Worth: The swans...Early one spring, I came back and I made Bill Needles come with me and we had to pick up swansdown. I was determine to have a Stratford swansdown pillow. We picked up all the swansdown and I, I still have that old swansdown pillow. It's small but it's Stratford (Ouzounian, 2002: 57).
Colm Feore: Well, I have to be honest with you. Everything I have, Shakespeare gave me, And I got it from Shakespeare by being allowed to stay here long enough through think and thin. John Hirsch, God rest his soul, believed in me when I was simply really bad. I mean I was most happy as the Officer in The Comedy of Errors, a part with no lines but a very nice outfit. The rest of it was a mystery to me. I'd spent three years at the National Theatre School but it hadn't sunk in (Ouzounian, 2002: 320).
Antoni Cimolino: I came here when I was a high school kid and the first thing I remember about the Stratford Festival was how smart I felt as I left. I felt that the room became so small, this huge room-I was seated way up there in the gods... and looking down at all these people, and as the play started, I got all the jokes. All of the stuff that seemed impenetrable in the classroom, I totally understood and I wasn't alone...so I left feeling taller, more alive than I'd ever felt in my life (Ouzounian, 2002: 359).
So that's only a very limited selection from this book, I highly recommend looking into it yourself. And for those of you getting sick of my constant blatherings over Stratford, next week my post will be Stratford free.
References
Ouzounian, R. (2002). Stratford Gold 50 years, 50 starts, 50 conversations. McArthur and Company, Toronto.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Pygmalion and My Fair Lady
I own I double edition of Pygmalion and My Fair Lady, and I believe that this is the book I have read the most in my life. I have read it at least 100 times, if not more. It was actually the first book I ever bought at Stratford, after viewing my first production there (My Fair Lady). So my last post on Anna and the King of Siam was slightly out of chronological order, but what can you do.
I think the reason I adore My Fair Lady and Pygmalion is because of Stratford. as mentioned, it was the first production I saw there, and to add to that, it was on the festival stage, which is beyond magical. In Stratford Gold, which I will discuss a few posts from now, many actors talk about their first experiences viewing theatre at Stratford, and how the experience was utterly life changing. And I think that viewing My Fair Lady was similar for me-although Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat already made me fall in love with theatre- it was My Fair Lady that devoted me to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. When I discuss the book Stratford Gold I will share some of those quotes, but for now I will share a quote from a recent newspaper article written my Richard Ouzounian (my favourite theatre critic) in memoriam to Michael Langham: "I had been in modified thrust theatres before, but this was the thing itself, an almost kabbalistic geometric design that Tanya Moiseiwitsch and Tyrone Guthrie had concocted between them. My apologies to the nuns and priests who had tried to turn me into a good Catholic, but that stage seemed like more of a sacred altar to me than any of the countless structures I had knelt before in prayer" (2011).
But back to Pygmalion/My Fair Lady, and I will continue to use both titles, because almost every time I read my edition, I go through all of Pygmalion (sometimes interjecting My Fair Lady's songs in between) but skip to the ending of My Fair Lady-because although it isn't practical and doesn't really work in the traditional sense, I don't like the idea of Eliza and Henry not together.
I have read this book so many times in this fashion that I have a great number of it's lines memorized-this was problematic when I saw My Fair Lady a second time a few years after Stratford at a small community theatre. I knew the lines from Pygmalion so well, that I was sure the actor playing Henry Higgins was forgetting parts of his speech-it was only after the production that I realized I was remembering the lines from Pygmalion and not My Fair Lady.
If you have the chance I highly recommend seeing and reading either My Fair Lady or Pygmalion.
References
Ouzounian, R. (January 21, 2011). Michael Langham made me love Stratford. Retrieved from http://www.thestar.com/article/926426--michael-langham-made-me-love-stratford
I think the reason I adore My Fair Lady and Pygmalion is because of Stratford. as mentioned, it was the first production I saw there, and to add to that, it was on the festival stage, which is beyond magical. In Stratford Gold, which I will discuss a few posts from now, many actors talk about their first experiences viewing theatre at Stratford, and how the experience was utterly life changing. And I think that viewing My Fair Lady was similar for me-although Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat already made me fall in love with theatre- it was My Fair Lady that devoted me to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. When I discuss the book Stratford Gold I will share some of those quotes, but for now I will share a quote from a recent newspaper article written my Richard Ouzounian (my favourite theatre critic) in memoriam to Michael Langham: "I had been in modified thrust theatres before, but this was the thing itself, an almost kabbalistic geometric design that Tanya Moiseiwitsch and Tyrone Guthrie had concocted between them. My apologies to the nuns and priests who had tried to turn me into a good Catholic, but that stage seemed like more of a sacred altar to me than any of the countless structures I had knelt before in prayer" (2011).
But back to Pygmalion/My Fair Lady, and I will continue to use both titles, because almost every time I read my edition, I go through all of Pygmalion (sometimes interjecting My Fair Lady's songs in between) but skip to the ending of My Fair Lady-because although it isn't practical and doesn't really work in the traditional sense, I don't like the idea of Eliza and Henry not together.
I have read this book so many times in this fashion that I have a great number of it's lines memorized-this was problematic when I saw My Fair Lady a second time a few years after Stratford at a small community theatre. I knew the lines from Pygmalion so well, that I was sure the actor playing Henry Higgins was forgetting parts of his speech-it was only after the production that I realized I was remembering the lines from Pygmalion and not My Fair Lady.
If you have the chance I highly recommend seeing and reading either My Fair Lady or Pygmalion.
References
Ouzounian, R. (January 21, 2011). Michael Langham made me love Stratford. Retrieved from http://www.thestar.com/article/926426--michael-langham-made-me-love-stratford
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Anna and the King of Siam
Today I have to keep this rather short because I have to move on to other work. Anyways, I am going to talk about Anna and the King of Siam, a book that I would argue (along with Stratford Gold) is one of the less common titles appearing on my list. If you would like to learn more, here is the link to it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Anna-King-Siam-Margaret-Landon/dp/0060954884
As a young adult I had a long standing fascination with the story of Anna Leonowens and the time she spent in Siam (modern day Thailand) tutoring the King's children. I believe that my interest began after watching the 1999 movie Anna and the King starring Jodie Foster and Chow-Yun-Fat. Which, is a beautiful but is an overly romanticized and glamourized retelling of the story-as most hollywood productions seem to be.
It wasn't until four years later in 2003 that I was able to vastly improve my knowledge on this subject viewing the Rodgers and Hammerstein's production of The King and I both on film and in person at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. But honestly, I didn't love The King and I. As much as I love The Stratford Festival and Lucy Peacock (who starred in Stratford's production) I am just not the biggest fan of Rodgers and Hammerstein-I mean I love The Sound of Music and Carousel-but they aren't two of my favourites and I don't know-maybe I will elaborate on my favourite lyricists and composers later but anyways, I just wasn't totally enraptured by this musical. However, what I did fall in love with was the book Anna and the King of Siam, which was bought in the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's gift shop.
And as a side note, one other reason that I love the Stratford Festival so much is because, not only have many of my favourite theatrical productions been performed there, but I have also acquired many of my favourite books from their bookstore or in the town of Stratford. Including: Anna and the King of Siam, Pygmalion and My Fair Lady, Stratford Gold, Cyrano de Bergerac and Peter Pan. Because as much as I love Shakespeare, and I truly do, it annoys me to no end that most libraries and bookstores have theatre sections (if they even have theatre sections at all) that are completely and only filled with the works of Shakespeare. And yes, Shakespeare is unbelievably great and easily arguably the best playwright of all time- but really there is so much out there-and I have found that The Stratford Festival is really the only place out there that has presented those options to me. Now, it is true that anything can be found online these days, but without Stratford I would never have known to search for books like Pygmalion, Anna and the King or Cyrano.
But getting back on track, and summing up. Anna and the King of Siam is a wonderful book-it was one of those books that succeeded in fully transporting me to another place while reading, and I find that few books are able to fully and completely do this. There is more I could say, but I will leave it to you to check it out for yourself.
As a young adult I had a long standing fascination with the story of Anna Leonowens and the time she spent in Siam (modern day Thailand) tutoring the King's children. I believe that my interest began after watching the 1999 movie Anna and the King starring Jodie Foster and Chow-Yun-Fat. Which, is a beautiful but is an overly romanticized and glamourized retelling of the story-as most hollywood productions seem to be.
It wasn't until four years later in 2003 that I was able to vastly improve my knowledge on this subject viewing the Rodgers and Hammerstein's production of The King and I both on film and in person at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. But honestly, I didn't love The King and I. As much as I love The Stratford Festival and Lucy Peacock (who starred in Stratford's production) I am just not the biggest fan of Rodgers and Hammerstein-I mean I love The Sound of Music and Carousel-but they aren't two of my favourites and I don't know-maybe I will elaborate on my favourite lyricists and composers later but anyways, I just wasn't totally enraptured by this musical. However, what I did fall in love with was the book Anna and the King of Siam, which was bought in the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's gift shop.
And as a side note, one other reason that I love the Stratford Festival so much is because, not only have many of my favourite theatrical productions been performed there, but I have also acquired many of my favourite books from their bookstore or in the town of Stratford. Including: Anna and the King of Siam, Pygmalion and My Fair Lady, Stratford Gold, Cyrano de Bergerac and Peter Pan. Because as much as I love Shakespeare, and I truly do, it annoys me to no end that most libraries and bookstores have theatre sections (if they even have theatre sections at all) that are completely and only filled with the works of Shakespeare. And yes, Shakespeare is unbelievably great and easily arguably the best playwright of all time- but really there is so much out there-and I have found that The Stratford Festival is really the only place out there that has presented those options to me. Now, it is true that anything can be found online these days, but without Stratford I would never have known to search for books like Pygmalion, Anna and the King or Cyrano.
But getting back on track, and summing up. Anna and the King of Siam is a wonderful book-it was one of those books that succeeded in fully transporting me to another place while reading, and I find that few books are able to fully and completely do this. There is more I could say, but I will leave it to you to check it out for yourself.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
The Pearl
So today I am going to talk about John Steinbeck's The Pearl. The Pearl is actually the first I book I clearly remember being read to me as a child, which is why I believe it has become one of my favourites.
I think that my favourite part of this book is the beginning, because from the first sentence it completely draws you in and takes hold: "In the town they tell the story of the great pearl-how it was found and how it was lost again. They tell of Kino, the fisherman, and of his wife, Juana, and of the baby Coyotito. And because the story has been told so often, it has taken root in every man's mind". It's just brilliant! I love the sense of mysticism and foreboding that surrounds those first few sentences. And although the end of the story is given away in the first line of the book, you still have no ideal how the great pearl will be lost- or for that matter how it will be found.
The plot is rather simplistic-as it is meant to be, since the book is a self described parable. And it is beautifully crafted-I mean what am I saying, it was written by John Steinbeck on of America's greatest and most recognizable authors. It is a classic and one of the most memorable books I have ever read. However, again, that could be because I was first read it as a child. I have spent the past 30 minutes or so unsuccessfully searching for a quote I had heard stating something along the lines of: all the best theatre you see when you are young. And in someways I think that this is true of both theatre and of books. Since, they are the things that can mould your view of the world around you and affect how you see what it is you are seeing. When you are older everything you see if affected by what you have seen in the past. And when you are young you are free of many of the biases that accumulate with age, and are able to see something more for what it truly is. Anyways moving away from all that philosophy I will end by saying simply, The Pearl is one of my favourite books, I love it's simplicity and timeless relevance.
I think that my favourite part of this book is the beginning, because from the first sentence it completely draws you in and takes hold: "In the town they tell the story of the great pearl-how it was found and how it was lost again. They tell of Kino, the fisherman, and of his wife, Juana, and of the baby Coyotito. And because the story has been told so often, it has taken root in every man's mind". It's just brilliant! I love the sense of mysticism and foreboding that surrounds those first few sentences. And although the end of the story is given away in the first line of the book, you still have no ideal how the great pearl will be lost- or for that matter how it will be found.
The plot is rather simplistic-as it is meant to be, since the book is a self described parable. And it is beautifully crafted-I mean what am I saying, it was written by John Steinbeck on of America's greatest and most recognizable authors. It is a classic and one of the most memorable books I have ever read. However, again, that could be because I was first read it as a child. I have spent the past 30 minutes or so unsuccessfully searching for a quote I had heard stating something along the lines of: all the best theatre you see when you are young. And in someways I think that this is true of both theatre and of books. Since, they are the things that can mould your view of the world around you and affect how you see what it is you are seeing. When you are older everything you see if affected by what you have seen in the past. And when you are young you are free of many of the biases that accumulate with age, and are able to see something more for what it truly is. Anyways moving away from all that philosophy I will end by saying simply, The Pearl is one of my favourite books, I love it's simplicity and timeless relevance.
Friday, January 21, 2011
My Favourite Things: Books Edition
This week I am going to list my favourite books and then over the next few posts-throughout the next 2 weeks or so- I will discuss each of the books on my list. I decided to talk about each one individually because that way I can really spend time discussing why I love a certain book and not worry about making this post insanely long.
So, the order of this list will be based on when I first read the book since that seems to make some logical sense
My Favourite Books:
-The Pearl, John Steinbeck
-Anna and the King of Siam, Margaret Landon
-Pygmalion and My Fair Lady, George Bernard Shaw and Alan Jay Lerner
-Stratford Gold, Richard Ouzounian
-The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
-Cyrano de Bergerac, Edmond Rostand
-The Tempest, William Shakespeare
-Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie
Oh, and by the way some of my favourite authors aren't on this list, which is kind of interesting...The books on the above list are my favourites but I also really enjoy reading books that are relaxing and easy-or fast and thrilling by authors like: Emily Giffin, Jeffery Deaver, and Kathy Reichs among others, just because they are really nice escapes...but the books on my list are almost like old friends, I like to have them with me where ever I am so I can read them whenever I want. Getting a kindle for Christmas was really great, because now I can really can have them with me (and just to clarify I don't mean ALWAYS have them with me like a security blanket or anything, but just having them while I am away at school to read from if I feel like it).
So, the order of this list will be based on when I first read the book since that seems to make some logical sense
My Favourite Books:
-The Pearl, John Steinbeck
-Anna and the King of Siam, Margaret Landon
-Pygmalion and My Fair Lady, George Bernard Shaw and Alan Jay Lerner
-Stratford Gold, Richard Ouzounian
-The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
-Cyrano de Bergerac, Edmond Rostand
-The Tempest, William Shakespeare
-Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie
Oh, and by the way some of my favourite authors aren't on this list, which is kind of interesting...The books on the above list are my favourites but I also really enjoy reading books that are relaxing and easy-or fast and thrilling by authors like: Emily Giffin, Jeffery Deaver, and Kathy Reichs among others, just because they are really nice escapes...but the books on my list are almost like old friends, I like to have them with me where ever I am so I can read them whenever I want. Getting a kindle for Christmas was really great, because now I can really can have them with me (and just to clarify I don't mean ALWAYS have them with me like a security blanket or anything, but just having them while I am away at school to read from if I feel like it).
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