This was a rare trip without camera gear. The weather has been so lousy that it just didn't seem promising to take a lot of photo equipment. My last posting about Staunton with photos can be found at 1/31-2/2/14.
After checking into the Stonewall Jackson Hotel, our home away from home, we went to The Shack. This small, former hamburger joint, has received a lot of positive press coverage because of the reputation of the owner/chef. I was less than impressed. I didn't like having to sit with another couple when there were empty tables available and I didn't like the very undercooked pork loin. Hubby did like his lamb schnitzel. I did enjoy the desserts - sorghum cake with frozen apple meringue and chocolate mouse. Back to the Zynodoa next trip!
Saturday we had breakfast at Cranberries. While there we found out that it is has a new owner who has a passion for hiking. The 1st hike of the new Staunton Hiking Club was about to take off while we were there. I wish them many happy walks.
No trip would be complete without a visited with Rebecca at Turtle Lane. I can never just pop in for a hug and a "hi, how are you?" I always find something I must have. This time it was a birthday gift for a friend and earrings for me.
I failed to keep the information on the artist because I wore the earnings out of the store, but the gentleman who made them does painstaking detailed work with wood to make these very light weight pieces. I love wearing them and I'm usually not a fan of dangling earrings. They were very inexpensive.
As usual, our primary focus of any trip to Staunton is the American Shakespeare Center. One good thing about having to sit with another couple at The Shack was finding out that they had never heard of ASC. They were from Newport News, VA, and she had worked at a local theater company as the stage manager. After hearing us rave about ASC, they promised another trip to Staunton to check it out. They were actually staying at a resort off 81 and had spent the afternoon at the Grand Cavren and were in Staunton only for dinner.
The matinee was The White Devil by John Webster, a contemporary of Shakespeare's. Remember the creepy kid in the movie Shakespeare in Love? He grew up to write works, as described in the playbill, "...as the darkest and most amoral vision of humanity in the early modern period." This play was full of evil deeds, murder, and hypocrisy. The body count was unusually high - at one point several bodies were strewn about the stage. Joe Bob Briggs (my 1st cultural reference that ages me) would have been thrilled.
We have never been disappointed by the acting at ASC but this performance was a real treat because Chris Johnston got to prove his serious acting skills. He is definitely the master of the "hippy, dippy weatherman" persona, (my 2nd old cultural reference) but this time he was strong in the role of Flaminio, the evil manipulator and murderer.
I must comment on John Harrell's show stopping singing of The Grateful Dead's A Friend of the Devil at the end of intermission. He was joined on stage by the cast and it was hilarious. Of course, John can get a laugh out of anything - this time during the play it was his Latin prayer as the Pope that turned into just garbled mumblings.
The evening performance was Mother Bombie by another of Shakespeare's contemporaries, John Lyle. Again Chris Johnston gave an outstanding performance as Dromio. His vaudeville riff of one liners was perfect. Allison Glenzer and Christopher Seiler were a great team of old men and I love Lauren Ballard's total courage at throwing herself into any role. Her size is not a hindrance but I was amazed at her playing a standup bass twice her size.
Lauren reminds me of an attorney I worked with in Austin. This petit blond lawyer hid her brilliance behind a facade of dumb blond foolery. She was "outed" after winning thousands of dollars in the firm-wide March Madness pool two years in a row. The 1st year she claimed she just picked her favorite colors and we believed her. The 2nd year she said she picked the school she had never heard of ("Is Seaton Hall a dorm?") but her secretary showed me her Excel spreadsheet not just on each team but each player!
Lauren reminds me of an attorney I worked with in Austin. This petit blond lawyer hid her brilliance behind a facade of dumb blond foolery. She was "outed" after winning thousands of dollars in the firm-wide March Madness pool two years in a row. The 1st year she claimed she just picked her favorite colors and we believed her. The 2nd year she said she picked the school she had never heard of ("Is Seaton Hall a dorm?") but her secretary showed me her Excel spreadsheet not just on each team but each player!
I spotted James Keegan and Greg Phelps in the audience. It was good to see them, but I would have preferred it if they had been on stage.
Sunday morning, before heading home, we had breakfast at Mrs. Rowe's and purchased one of her coconut meringue pies before stopping at The Virginia Store to stock up on favorite provisions. Enough to hold us until we return in June.
