Ahh, Sunday - 7/3

At last Sunday is here. I needed the down time. Though I had intended to rest my legs on Saturday, the walk to the museum, coupled with the walking associated with finding te Greek restaurant made most of what I had achieved in terms of recovery on Saturday morning completely undone. Thus, on Sunday, I planned a leisurely day.

I worked on some class preparation for Monday's class, I watched a little television (mostly Wimbledon) in spotty digital form, and actually rested my legs.

In the evening, I went to the Globe Theatre to Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. This is a play that I teach during my British Liturature I classes, and I enjoy seeing it when I can. To see it in the Globe Theatre in London, a modern reconstruction of what Shakespeare's theatre looked like, was a unique opportunity. Marlowe is a contemporary of Shakespeare, but their styles are distinctly different. It was interesting to see this interpretation of this Tudor era play.

Doctor Faustus is essentially a morality play based on the earlier tales that came out of Germany. It is a tale where Faustus sells his soul to the devil in order to achieve a longer life and god-like power. In the end, though he has many opportunities to repent, he does not and is taken off into hell. Faustus's pride and greed are his downfall.

This production was wonderful. There was a great emphasis on spectacle that I had not encountered before. This included some great prop pieces, such as large wings, articulated dragons ridden by Mephistopheles and Faustus, and some firework-brand special effects. There was very effective use of music as well. All in all, this staging of the play probably came much closer to a Tudor era morality "entertainment" than the rather heady, intellectualized interpretations that I have seen in the past. I mean, I can clearly see how this play can be performed to engage the "groundlings." In Shakespeare's day these were the poor people who paid a penny to stand in the yard, while the wealthier patrons sat on wooden benches around the yard. The message was clear even if the poetic words were too difficult to understand.

I thoroughly enjoyed this experience, and it has reshaped how I will present the play to my students in the future. Regrettably, there are no photographs allowed during a performance, so I don't have any to share.