How the Tempest went

"The Tempest" is over! It definitely qualified as an adventure, but it did go through. God sent me just enough people--a nice lady to help put up the trees, Catherine to manage backstage the first and scattier night, my sister to manage it on Saturday; random church men to put the stage extensions up and enough play guys and dads to put them away again; it worked. We had nerves and dropped lines and a cloak that went missing just when it was time to go onstage. We had Gonzalo dreaming Friday night that there was one more performance (terror!) and then waking up and it was true. We had interminable three-minute scene changes and costume problems and location problems and prop problems--one night they forgot to bring out the piano bench at all, and the next day they left it on for three scenes. But they kept going. Amazing how that worked.

My nymphs and airy spirits danced beautifully. Everyone seemed happy at the end, actors and audience both. And someone's English grandma said afterwards it was the best Shakespeare she'd ever seen. I'm not sure I believe it; but it was a very nice compliment.