The play's the thing...

I'm so excited. My entire family is going to see Arsenic and Old Lace tomorrow night (Thanks for the tickets, Mom)! Why am I excited? Perhaps if you have not yet experienced the joy of having two teenage boys, you might not get it. But the fact that we are all going together is a huge deal. Given all they know about the play is that it's about a couple of old women and they just have my word on the fact that it is supposed to be funny--a monumentally huge deal! How did I bribe my teenagers to join us? In addition to the usual threats, they were a little bit influenced by the fact that one of their favorite (Thanks Brother Hess!) seminary teachers is in the play. Cool.

This is also one of the things I really like about living in Provo. You do have access to some good cultural experiences here and in Salt Lake City--not just for yourself, but also to entertain and enlighten your kids.

I didn't get exposed to a lot of theater where I grew up. It might have been more due to the logistics of taking six kids to the theater than living in Eugene, Oregon. My cultural experiences as a child consisted more of Saturday's Market than of Shakespeare, but I'm not complaining. Somehow, mostly due to a great time at Ashland and a wonderful English teacher my junior year, I grew up with a love of the bard and I truly believe the play's the thing.

Of course I've seen Les Mis and Phantom when they came to town. And one of my best ever theater experiences--Macbeth--at the wonderful Utah Shakespearean Festival. But I have of late--and mostly thanks to a friend who is quite involved in the local theater scene (Thanks Julie!)--fallen in love with local theater as well.

My two oldest got exposure early on, thanks to my theater major brother (did I mention how much I love comp tickets?). Their most notable introduction to Shakespeare was front row seats to the rather violent Macbeth, which was performed at the Castle Theatre in Provo. It's always more fun if you know one of the performers. My boys were into the swordplay, but we left at intermission because 1). it was way past their bedtimes and 2). they had already far exceeded the acceptable norm for body count in one night.

Most recently we saw A Christmas Carol at Hale Center Theater in Orem. This is always well done at Hale (who, I might add, also did an amazing job with "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"), but was much more fun the year before when my second son got whacked on the leg by the ghost of Marley's chains as he exited one scene. An experience like that really puts the live in live theater.

Another great local venue is Provo Theater Company. It was the best homework I ever had when I had to accompany my oldest son to see Forever Plaid for one of those lovely "cultural assignments" that kids hate but parents who want their kids to grow up literate and with good taste love. It was great fun.

So, I'll post a review in the comment section afterwards, but I'm sure I won't be disappointed. BYU has some great talent in their department. Some of my favorites in the past have been "The Taming of the Shrew," "Othello," "King Lear," "The Importance of Being Earnest," a fabulously dark "Long Day's Journey Into Night" (decades ago) and "Wait Until Dark."

I suggest if you haven't yet sampled some of the local fare you buddy up with your closest thespian and beg for comp tickets (if you have a budget like mine) or pony up at the nearest box office. It will be money and time well spent. And--at least I'm hoping in my case--someday your kids will thank you for it.