I am absolutely among those who have been crying happy tears daily during the Artemis II mission. And now I’m feeling kinda sad it’s over but looking forward to Artemis III and IV.
Looking up at the Moon on day 3 of the mission — mind totally blown by the fact that astronauts were on their way to the Moon at that very moment — I remembered a story shared by @nytimes on the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11.
It was actually a slideshow of stories originally published on Apollo 11’s 40th anniversary (then reposted in 2019). Here’s the link: /slideshow/2009/07/15/science/space/20090715moon-readers_index.html
Actor Roger Kozol shared this memory of playing Romeo at @osfashland on the night of the first Moon landing before his death in 2014. In that summer of 1969, he also played Prince Henry in “King John” and Fabian in “Twelfth Night.”
(sidenote about that story: the Moon as it was visible from Earth on the night of the first Moon landing was actually a waxing crescent, not a full moon, but it’d be understandable if one’s memory of that momentous night was of a big full moon!)
So theater companies, are you ready to create your own awe-inspiring Moon moment in 2028?
We don’t know for sure exactly what time of year Artemis IV will launch — but just imagine it being in the warmer months, when open-air theaters can deliver an experience with layered meaning, as the Bard’s words about the night sky accompany the next landing on the Moon.
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#shakespeare #moon #nasa #artemisii #apollo11 #artemisiv #outdoortheatre #romeoandjuliet #theatre #moonjoy
Dearest gentle reader, perchance the scribes of “Bridgerton” found some inspiration in a certain Shakespearean couple that’s just as swoon-inducing as Benedict and Sophie 💘
Disney 🤝 Shakespeare 🤝 Chess
What’s the most Shakespearean thing and the most Disney-esque thing about @chessbway ?
With the 1980s musical back on Broadway, Caroline Aimetti of @poorunfortunatepodcast joined forces with Emily Rome of Shakespeare’s Shadows to answer this question!
#chessbway #shakespeare #disney #musicals #musicaltheatre #timrice #revival #broadway #poorunfortunatepodcast #shakespearesshadows #everybodysplayingthegame
’Twas a lovely day at ren faire yesterday with @sabrinan98
Once I put on my cloak, I felt quite hobbity, decided to roll with it, happy to be a hobbit 😄 Had Sabrina the badass warrior elf by my side ⚔️
most parts of my outfit: @scarletdarkness_brand
beautiful nail art by Yenny at @fancynailspachelsea
I liked @krfaire ’s new location more than I thought I would. Not as woodsy as the previous longtime location, but once you get past the more modern-looking buildings at the entrance, it’s a sprawling, partly tree-covered landscape with lots of nooks and crannies to discover.
Browsed thru the stunning merchant tents (and made purchases of maps and tea!), saw performances by a fabulous handful of bagpipers and by the one and only @jacqueszewhipper , witnessed a gathering of witches for this fair day approaching Halloween, and watched the epic Joust to the Death.
If “The Fate of Ophelia” left you wanting a retelling of this Shakespearean heroine where she gets to save herself, podcast host @emilynrome has 3 recommendations for you!
Plus an additional recommendation that’ll still give you plenty of Max Martin 🎧
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Weaving together interviews with actors and academics, podcast Shakespeare’s Shadows delves into a single Shakespeare character in each episode. Available for your listening pleasure on @applepodcasts , @audible , @spotify , and other podcast apps
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Image credits:
“The Life of a Showgirl”: Republic Records
“Ophelia”: IFC Films
“Elsinore”: Golden Glitch
“A Room in the Castle”: Erika Nizborski
“& Juliet”: Matthew Murphy
Visited 5 museums/libraries on my trip to NYC over July 4th weekend 🖼️
• New York Public Library •
• Metropolitan Museum of Art •
• Morgan Library •
• Tenement Museum •
• Museum of the Moving Image •
Twas such fun to venture around the Big Apple with you, @aemkea20 & @gabriela.gualano ♥️
An adventure to Amherst in early April (when it was still sweater weather!) 🌸 Had a lovely day visiting @emilydickinson.museum and the Dickinson family’s graves.
Reflecting back on this now in part because today, May 15, marks 139 years since Emily Dickinson’s death in 1886.
Our tour guide, Karina, was wonderful, making many details about the Dickinsons’ lives come alive while creating a serene atmosphere accented by beautiful readings of select poems.
One of the most striking things to me on that tour was Emily Dickinson’s desk. (What’s in the museum now is a replica but is of the size and shape of her original desk.) I knew from my work at Orchard House that it wasn’t considered proper for a woman then to have a real desk of her own, but it was still smaller than I expected — it was low enough that she couldn’t have even fit her legs under it!
She spent so much time in that bedroom, writing poems and letters at that little desk. I’d been thinking a lot lately on Emily’s reputation as a recluse, whether that’s really a fair description of her — one phrase from a biography I just read, “These Fevered Days” (which I’ll share more about later), that’s stuck with me is she was “solitary, yes, but not detached.” It was an amazing, almost spiritual experience to be in that room where Emily had crafted such a rich interior life that was still so connected to friends and family via all the letters she wrote at that desk.
Amongst us Orchard House guides, we’ve eagerly discussed Louisa May Alcott in comparison to Emily Dickinson. There are almost-chilling parallels coupled with stark differences — they both died at age 55 and were born two years apart, Louisa’s writing encouraged by her parents while Emily’s father disapproved of women seeking literary ambition, and neither married though they deeply loved and took care of nieces and nephews. Louisa made writing a financial success that pulled her family out of debt. Emily meanwhile was published mostly posthumously. They lived less than 75 miles apart but likely never met.
Hoping to go back to the Museum sometime soon, especially now that the Evergreens (Austin and Sue Dickinson’s house) has reopened 💚
Nov. 12, 1955: lightning strikes the clock tower
Nov. 12, 2024: saw this lightning in a bottle of a show again
A highlight of 2024 — seeing “Back to the Future: The Musical” in LA on its first national tour.
I’d seen this musical adaptation of my favorite movie three times before — in Manchester and NYC, with incredible casts on both sides of the Atlantic, writing articles about both productions. But nothing compares to getting to see it in LA, with this delightful show accompanied by the sounds of familiar laughter of dear friends. ♥️
And! It was lovely to get to say hi in the lobby beforehand to Bob Gale, who kindly greeted me with a hug and chatted with us about the show including the Japanese translation in the works. I first interviewed him 10 years ago for an article for Mental Floss and have had the pleasure to interview him a handful of times since (for the all the festivities around the arrival of 2015 aka the future of BttF Pt 2 and for the musical). He really does wonderfully embody the role of the godfather of Back to the Future.
Grateful for the chance for another return visit to the city where I lived for 9 years and to see an oodles of smiles-inducing show in a week where some joy and laughter was really needed.
