The Globe, Right Next Door

J surprised me last week by buying a pair of tickets to a sold-out show of Henry VIII at the world renowned Globe Theatre!

I've been reading Shakespeare since the fourth grade, when my mom decided that it was never too early to start reading the classics and getting ready for college. When I wasn't busy reading The Babysitters' Club and Sweet Valley High, I was going to Mr. Esquith's Saturday morning class on Shakespeare's plays with my childhood bestie Grace.

Eenie.

Meenie.

Miney Mo. I win bitches!

The thing I remember most about those Saturday mornings were the bagels and cream cheese that were served during the morning break. Other memorable occasions were those when Mr. Esquith arranged for special guests to visit our class such as Sir Ian McKellan, aka Gandalf, and Miep Gies, the woman who helped hide Anne Frank and her family during the Nazi occupation of Holland. Amazing.

I remember the plays too, of course. Some of my favorites were The Tempest and Twelfth Night. But keep in mind, I was eight years old at the time. So my appreciation has definitely changed and deepened over the years. I've always imagined what the life and times of Shakespeare were like since I was a child, and I had the chance to catch a glimpse last night!

The Globe Theatre is a fifteen minute walk from our current flat, and Shakespeare himself lived in our area near the Globe. Fast forward about four hundred years and change, and we could've been neighbors! The current Globe is a faithful reproduction of the Globe Theatre, which was built in 1599 and demolished in 1644, and the creation of an American director, Sam Wanamaker. It was completed in 1997, and unfortunately Mr. Wanamaker died before construction was completed. But what a treat he left for the rest of us!

The outside of the Globe Theatre. Photo by Ester Inbar.

The stage from the yard's perspective. Photo by Tohma.

View of the theatre. Photo by Tohma.

The theatre is an open air theatre, so you're exposed to all the elements, and those standing in the yard better be prepared for rain, sleet or hail. Luckily, the skies were clear last night, and the rain didn't start until the end of the play. The last play I had watched was a Jane Austen review in Hollywood, and I couldn't help marveling over the fact that I was watching one of Shakespeare's plays in the Globe Theatre. What a difference.

With the seats all filled. And I mean filled. Modern day asses do NOT fit in seats of yore. Photo by Yair Haklai.

The entire play was about 3 hours long, and though it wasn't one of my favorites, the entire experience was unforgettable. Now, I just need to go to Stratford-upon-Avon to get my Shakespeare fix.