Ashland

Hi! We've had a wonderful time in Ashland. We LOVED The Taming of the Shrew, which we saw yesterday. The direction really helped us understand one interpretation of Shakespeare's meaning, which was an uplifting message. We had some great discussion about it. Today we had the backstage tour and learned about the history of the Shakespeare festival, and also a lot about a stage actor's life. Ashland actors are hired for ten months at a time. If they aren't needed for the next season, they travel around the country to wherever they can find work. Not an easy life! You have to love acting. Caleb and Emily were both inspired to act. Elliot not so much, but he enjoyed it. This afternoon we watched a three + hour rendition of King Lear. It too was amazingly well done. It was performed in the smaller Thomas theater, with lots of audience interaction. The scene where the Earl of Cornwall stabs out the Earl of Glocestershire's eyes was really graphic, and the actor spent the rest of the play walking around with his face covered in blood. Ugh! Good thing we took the backstage tour first, so we felt "in the know."
Here are some pictures from the past couple days. We also enjoyed a beautiful hike yesterday morning. Our hotel is beautiful. I would move to Ashland/southern Oregon tomorrow if I could! It reminds me of Yorkshire in some ways. We saw a gorgeous sunset tonight.
Love,
Lisa and kids