Shakespeare's Globe Theater

With a typical gray London haze looming ominously in the sky this afternoon, I wondered if I really wanted to venture to the Globe this evening.  The Globe, an open-air reconstruction sitting just a stone's throw from the site of Shakespeare's original venue, provides no shelter from tempestuous London weather for the mere underlings.  Oh did I mention, I'm an underling now!  You see, atmosphere is everything at the Globe.  The stage is meager, no fancy modern advances.  The lighting, although clearly not what one would have seen in the late 16th or early 17th century, was minimal.  The theater prohibits all photography, and reminds each customer at least a dozen times to turn off his or her cellular phone.

But in order to make the experience genuinely British (and typically Shakespearean), class conflict abounds.  When a Globe customer purchases a ticket, he in effect casts himself into a socio-economic class.  If one chooses the cheapest, standing room only seats, he becomes a plebeian for the night.  And believe me, after standing for two hours, one becomes rather envious of those monied enough to afford £40 seats!

I eventually decided that, regardless of the impending gloom, I should seize the opportunity to see the Globe during the last week before it closes for the winter.  And we were lucky!  The grey clouds rolled away and the crisp breeze seemed to die down just in time for the 7:30 show. My friend Jill and I enjoyed The Merry Wives of Windsor, a comedy about love, marriage, social status, and gender roles.  I wish I had capitalized on the opportunity to read the play before seeing it live, as I think reading it on paper would have helped me to sift through the British accents and Shakespearean language to the finer nuances of the plot.

Although the Globe will close down for the year this week, I highly suggest a visit when you have time to kill in London (at least to see the theater, if not view a play).  And if you ever find yourself in near the Globe, please (for your own sake!) take these two tidbits of wisdom.  First of all, see a comedy!  Especially if you plan on purchasing standing room only seats, the tragedies will wear your attention span quite thin.  Secondly, BE SURE TO BRING A CAMERA!  The very close-by view of St. Paul's Cathedral over the Millenium Bridge is literally breathtaking (especially at night)!