December 2020 – Good News. Reviews. Events.

Reading the Entire Canon in 2020

In January 2020, a friend posted a Facebook link to a Shakespeare project, “Shakespeare 2020,” reading all of the plays, Sonnets, and poems by William Shakespeare in 12 months. I did not think twice, I joined the group. What had I just signed up for??? I own a busy real estate brokerage firm, run a horse farm, I have a husband, 2 dogs, and 5 cats, and my 96-year-young mother had come to live with us just before Christmas 2019. And . . Shakespeare too?

Why NOT? I would give it a try. No cost, no commitment except to myself, and I wanted to see if I was smart enough to work through literature for which I had more than a mild curiosity. One compelling reason was to improve and strengthen my writing.

My good fortune is that I attended an unusual and experimental public high school. There, my luck expanded to be placed in an English class with an incredible teacher, William Teunis. He piqued my interest in literature (especially, Shakespeare) through his enthusiasm and exceptional teaching. In his class, we read plays – acting out roles; we wrote short stories, essays, parodies, and plays. Shakespeare was attainable and most enjoyable. The more we did, the more I reached. My English experience abruptly ended with his drowning at the end of my sophomore year. Since then, I doubt that I have written a sentence without asking myself, “What will Mr. Teunis say about this?”

**“One day when I have time, I will read the plays.” My thought when I purchased this book in 1994**

Over the years, my Shakespeare interest was occasionally rekindled whenever I found a book related to the plays. Once, when I was shopping in Costco, I came across the Complete Works of Shakespeare. “This would be a good resource if I ever have the time to sit and read,” I thought, being the eternal optimist. I purchased the book. Other times, also in Costco, I bought, Shakespeare’s Kings, in hopes of one day learning something about the histories (because I glazed over in my British History course in college); another time, I discovered and bought the 3-CD set of the Sonnets which I played in my car for months. So…when the Project appeared, I was armed and dangerous.

My journey began on January 9, 2020 with Twelfth Night. Yikes! The print in my book was microscopic! I focused my eyes and found that the words readable. Somewhere in Act 2, I remembered my English teacher’s remarks that Shakespeare wrote plays which were performed to audiences. He wrote for theater and not for fireside reading. How was I going to do ALL that reading when the plays must be experienced? I discovered Librivox!

On Librivox, talented and generous people joined forces from around the world to read almost all of the plays. YES! I was thrilled by my discovery. Aside from my relentlessly working and riding horses, I am passionate about walking my dogs for miles (we walk a 15 minute mile most days for 2-5 miles). I took Librivox on our walks.

I listened to Hamlet at the magical arboretum where trees took on the personae of the ghost, Gertrude, Hamlet, Laertes, Polonius, Claudius, and a stick in the pond resembled Ophelia. When I was annoyed that Great Falls Park had been closed, we hailed elsewhere where Macbeth was the perfect answer for my dark mood. The early spring blossoms in our sweet town’s yards were a nice backdrop for Measure For Measure. We heard acts of plays in my car or truck en route to our destinations. I have a favorite gas station where I buy inexpensive diesel for my truck. I love that my broadcasts are not interrupted when I turned off the ignition to fuel. I recall something about a “pie” from Titus Andronicus while the diesel flowed into the tank of my bright blue Silverado.

The Shakespeare 2020 project was brilliantly developed to be completed in 12 months. Well, being very curious, and having determined that I would complete the entire canon before Mr. Teunis’ 50^th anniversary of his drowning (so that I could write a tribute article about him) I accelerated my reading/listening and behold, I finished the canon. There were times in King Lear and the Rape of Lucrece that the thought of closing the book and deleting the Librivox link were very compelling. HOW can a decent person know about such stuff and write about it, and worse, WHO would want to be entertained by THAT???? I decided not to judge by my values and carried on.

**Opportunities to discuss Shakespeare arise in unexpected places**

The Project was not just a syllabus, it was a treasure trove of intelligent, knowledgeable, and creative people who already knew a great deal. They shared their insights and enthusiasm with the 4,900 members of the group the Facebook page . The depth of resources, intellect, and understanding was staggering. My Shakespeare “library” grew along with my curiosity and understanding.

During my haydays in Mr. Teunis’ class, I heard him tell us that theater, during the Elizabethan era, competed for audiences from among other public interests including bear baiting and public hangings. “Uh-hu, OK, whatever,” I thought, at the time. Now it came to back to me why certain plays were so grotesque. The poor playwright had to capture audiences’ attention and be competitive. Therefore, Titus Andronicus, Lear, Rape of Lucrece, among others.

My friends with whom I shared my Shakespeare adventure looked at me sideways most of the time. One friend, much older than I, said to me, “He should have died earlier. There would be fewer plays with which to torture students.” It seems that he is not alone in that opinion and that most people’s literary experiences were not as positive as mine. My friends were surprised that I cared about Shakespeare, let alone that I would embark on this journey.

Until this Project, I had danced around the periphery of the Bard. I had done my share of academic study with Mr. Teunis, then, watched fabulous ballets including A Midsummer Night’s Dream with New York City Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet; The Winter’s Tale and Romeo and Juliet with the Royal Ballet and attended Folger Theater performances throughout the years. After completing the canon, I purposed to watch as many plays as possible. I have managed to see about 20 plays, listened to Patrick Stewart reading the Sonnets, and I discovered brilliant lecturers from Harvard, Yale, and the University of Virginia.

The Shakespeare 2020 Project opened a new world of discovery and connections as I never expected. I met (virtually) fascinating people (some of whom I could not find a single point of agreement) who stimulated me to think in different ways. I became acquainted with the creator of the Project, Ian Doescher, a young, creative author who has written many wonderful books in the “Shakespeare style” (do look at his link, you will be amazed by his creativity) on themes including Star Wars, Clueless, Luke Skywalker, and myriad more. My new connections and friendships are treasures. Another bonus is that I connected with high school friends who also valued Mr. Teunis (I should mention that our strange, experimental, free-for-all high school turned out amazing humans who touch the far reaches of the world because of Teunis [and others like him]).

A **Plutarch** Quote: “
***The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled***

As the Project draws to a conclusion, the experience, the discoveries, the friendships, the challenges, and the curiosity have helped me learn much about myself, given me discipline to persevere, and hopefully helped me write a little better (all the while hearing Mr. Teunis’ remarks, lectures, and gentle admonitions to do “better”).

By writing this article, I experienced the vastness that is Shakespeare. Questions continually arise. My opinions have no bounds. Stay tuned for future supplements to my “Shakespeare Adventure.” The learning is just beginning.

From Pumpkins to Cabbages to Roses and Orchids

**Autumn Tree in the Entry Hall – But first, you must pass under the kissing ball!**

Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens, set amid 25 acres at Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C. is the crowning event of my holiday experience. I often visited early to breathe in the holiday spirit and capture a photograph or two with which to produce my own Christmas card. There is always something magical and attainable in their trees.

This year, Hillwood executive director, Kate Markert, published A Garden For All Seasons. In celebration of this beautiful book, the 2020 Christmas trees were themed on the four seasons of the Hillwood gardens as presented in the book. Each of the four Christmas trees in the residence depict a different season and feature the plants and fruits of that season that would have been available among the estate’s gardens. A little known secret about these trees is that the staff and volunteers had only two days to install and fully decorate all of the trees.

**Visitor Center Tree – Based on the Natural Beauties: Exquisite Works in Minerals and Gems**

In addition to the beautiful exhibits in the mansion, there are rotating exhibits at the accessory buildings. This time, the exhibition, Natural Beauties: Exquisite Works In Minerals and Gems, inspired the theme of enormous Christmas tree in the Visitor’s Center where “minerals” of lapis, amethyst, quarts, and malachite were hung amid the beautiful glass ornaments. The secret of these particular minerals is that they are actually soap that is available for sale in the gift shop! Being careful never to touch, the look and style certainly fooled me.

Hillwood was the Washington, D.C. residence of Marjorie Merriweather Post. She was the heiress to the Postum Cereal Company (later General Foods) fortune and assumed the CEO position at the age of 29 upon the death of her father. She was a capable businesswoman, a brilliant art collector, a philanthropist, a patriot, and above all, an optimist. Her optimism is quickly recognized in her gardens. Multitasking was second nature to her. While she hired exceptional staff to help, she knew what was going on and where all the time.

**Autumn’s bounty dazzles – look closely and see what hidden treasures you can find . . .**

The first tree to greet visitors is “Autumn.” Pumpkins decorate its chocolate colored skirt and small gourds are scattered throughout the tree’s branches. The predominant colors of oranges, yellow, and amber bring a warm glow to the tree. Because Hillwood is home to one of Washington, D.C.’s oldest gingko trees, the top of this tree sports cascading golden gingko leaves. A close look at this tree reveals mums, seed pods, oak, and maple leaves. The beauty of this tree is that it is visible from both the Entry Hall and in the Library because it stands in the doorway between the two rooms.

**Cabbages and orchids; sweatered ornaments all wrapped in a knitted shawl**

**The majestic gingko tree is in the cutting garden and is one of the oldest trees on the property. Winter cabbages and pansies brighten winter’s landscape.**

In the Pavilion, where the walls are upholstered in light lavender, next to the grand piano and beneath purple velvet swag draperies is the “Winter” tree. In winter, orchids flower profusely in the estate’s greenhouse and create the dramatic topper for this tree. Cabbages and kales grow throughout the winter and are well represented among the tree’s decorations. For a bit of whimsey, some of the ornaments are covered with knitted “sweaters” and to add a cozy warm feeling, the tree skirt is a hand knitted scarf. The velvet walls and draperies warm the tall space muffling loud sounds and creating the perfect space for this year’s Winter tree.

**Spring in the French Drawing Room echoes the room’s colors and theme**

Marjorie collected French tapestries, furnishings, porcelains, and paintings and can be enjoyed in the French Drawing Room. The room’s colors say, “Spring.” The tree in this room is decorated with the flowers of spring – cherry blossoms, peonies, roses, azaleas, and ranunculus. The color palette ranges from bright pinks to soft creamy peaches. The promise of rejuvenation is echoed by boughs of cherry blossoms at the top of the tree. The sparkle effect is magnified by the clear glass and fuchsia ornaments reflecting the tiny white lights.

**The Summer Tree in the Dining Room captures summer’s delightful flowers and greenery**.

The tree in the richly paneled Dining Room represents “Summer.” The profusion of roses, dahlias, carnations, hydrangea, and snap dragons, and tassels inspired my curiosity to explore further. The design brilliantly encompassed the opulence of the dining table with its warm summer colors in its place settings as well as the sumptuous floral arrangements. The sheer height and density of ornaments made me want to linger further. As a frequent visitor, I scrolled through my thousands of photos and found just the flowers so aptly represented.

Hillwood is my happy place where I can indulge my love of the arts, antiques, architecture, and gardens all in one place. While they will be closing for the seasonal cleaning and refreshing, every new year brings new exhibits and themes which make returning both an adventure and a treat.

While enjoying the beautifully styled trees reminiscent of the gardens’ bounties, below are some photos from my collection that I have taken while in awe of their character and beauty.