the play's the thing

Last week, I performed in the faculty production of William Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors.

Those of you that know me, know that I have been involved in theater for a long time. It actually has been quite some time since I've "walked the boards," as my passion for theater has faded somewhat as I have grown older and become involved in other projects. Back in September, Cathy (the RTC librarian,  and director/producer/writer/actor/creator of the RTC faculty theater company) was talking about the autumn production of A Comedy of Errors. Fortunately – or unfortunately – I let it slip that I had done a lot of theater back-in-the-day. Cathy, being very persuasive and not taking 'no' for an answer, talked me into being Antipholus of Syracuse – which is one of the main roles. I was hesitant, since not only was I at the very beginning of the school year and still trying to get back in the groove of teaching full-time again, but I was also teaching in higher education for the first time, in a new environment, and I was trying to get my research started at the same time.

While I cannot honestly say that I enjoyed the time commitment necessary to rehearse and memorize a Shakespearean comedy (and I don't even like Shakespearean comedies – I much prefer the tragedies and histories), in the end I was glad that I did the play. It gave me an opportunity to get to know several faculty members that I now consider good friends here, and provided a creative outlet to the more mundane and cerebral activities of being a researcher and professor.

There will be another faculty play in the Spring, which I may be much more hesitant about joining. We'll just have to see. Famous last words ...

"Go to the Centaur, where we host."
Me (Antipholus of Syracuse) and Kimi (Dromio of Syracuse).

"There's none but witches do inhabit here."

"Plead you to me, fair dame? I know you not."
Ambalika (Adriana), myself, and Kimi. 

"But here's a villain that would face me down."
Deb (Antipholus of Ephesus, my twin separated at birth --
can't you see the resemblance?!), Liz (Angelo, the Goldsmith),
and Cathy (Dromio of Ephesus).

"A man is not so vain as to refuse so fair an offer'd chain."

"There's not a man I meet that doth salute me as if I were
their well-acquainted friend!"

"Fie on thee, wretch! 'tis pity that thou livest

To walk where any honest man resort."

"Thou art a villain to impeach me thus!"

"Run, master, run!"

"I see two husbands, or mine eyes deceive me!"

The cast: Madhav (Duke of Solinus), Ambalika (Adriana),
Kimi (Dromio of Syracuse), Cathy (Dromio of Ephesus),
Deb (Antipholus of Ephesus), Me (Antipholus of Syracuse),
Liz (Angelo, the Goldsmith), & Jaya (narrator)