They say it was a blue moon in Victoria last night. Whether or not that was the case, it was an extraordinary evening at Clover Point. On the spur of the moment, we went to see A Midsummer Night's Dream, staged in a tent whose stage backdrop was a huge open window overlooking the Juan de Fuca Strait. And a beautiful evening it was, clear sky pinkening as the sun set, gulls flying overhead, kites and para-sails soaring in the distance, the occasional vessel steaming by.
It took an extraordinarily good performance to capture the audience's attention from this distraction, and the actors delivered big time. I didn't count the audience, but I'm guessing there were about 75 seats, all of which were filled. One audience member was a boy of about six, who not only sat still for the performance, but laughed with infectious delight at some of the rarer antics. A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of my favorite of Shakespeare's plays and I've often laughed at it in a sort of intellectual way. Last night I laughed from the depths of my belly, squealed with surprise, and snorted in disbelief at the goings on. Will Shakespeare would have approved.
The supporting atmosphere was as delightful as the performance. Not only did we get a senior's discount, but another discount for walking rather than driving, and a third for being from the neighborhood. Hot chocolate was served during the interval for only $1 a cup, and blankets were also handed out just as the second half got underway, and these proved to be most welcome as a chill settled into the tent after the sun disappeared.
One of the best moments was during the "Intromission" (yes, this is literally what the sign said and I'm sure it was no error, given the general ribaldry of this production). Many theatre goers took advantage of the break to leave the confines of the tent to stretch their legs, and the few of us who remained were treated to the strains of Haydn's Symphony No. 9 as a backdrop to that glorious view. A matchless moment.
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