A Midsummer Night's Dream by the Mount Vernon Stake

This last weekend our stake presented A Midsummer Night's Dream. Matthew and Stephen and I were part of the Mechanicals which is a group of actors in Athen's putting on their own melodrama for the Duke's wedding. I played "Quince", the leader of the Mechanicals, who organizes the players and fights for dominance against the very dramatic lead actor, "Bottom" (he who later gets turned into a donkey.) Our segments were the funniest because all the characters are very silly. I loved being in the play with my boys. They did very well and had a good time. I really love Shakespeare too and am happy to have finally had a speaking part in a Shakespeare play. I hope it's not the last.

I included a cast photo. The play was set in present day Washington D.C. The Court were dressed like senators/proffessionals, the Mechanicals like working lower class people and the fairies like the homeless. We were trying to show that all classes have magic and value to them. It was fun. I am in the green hardhat like a foreman, Bottom is in the jumpsuit in front of me by Stephen and Matthew. Vanessa Rich (Croshaw) from highschool is in a blue hat holding her violin (she played music for the play) and maybe you'll recognize the flowery dress that "Thisby" wore, a man dressed up like a woman. That was Stephenie's bridesmaid dress from Colleen Covey's wedding.

After the final show, as we cleaned the church and took down the stage, a bunch of us started singing Les Mis and Phantom and Wicked. Thespians! I just love the theatre!

Just in time, I am blogging!

Here is dad, (below) crying with these lovely women, being overtaken with the love of being in Peru with this breathtaking landscape, and with the people! And this girl (left) was just little and had to carry this sheep so people would take pictures of her and give her soles. )Below left, a good shot of Cusco with Viva el Peru shaved into the side of the hill. And bottom, a picture of dad with a Christus on the hillside of Cusco in the back ground.

This is my balcony view (below) in the Villa of Urubamba and (right) is a great shot of the Sacred Valley.

I just started this blog in time to write about my fantastical trip to Peru with Kimberly, Stephenie and Georgalie. It has been 11 years since I've been out of the country and as we exited the airport in Cusco having just encountered vendors on every hand selling "trinkets", and drove out into the dry hills and dusty streets of a foreign country, the tears burst and my heart bled. I was travelling at last! I dream and dream of travelling, particularly back to Israel, but the feeling I dream of was just what was had as I realized I was in South America with a Passport and purse full of soles, to be with people of the world again at last!

I will get pictures up when I can. I must say though that I had ocassions of favoritism during the week long trip and they were the ocassions when I felt most happy and most in tune with the fact that I was with my sisters and dad in Peru! They were: walking down a dusty hill under eucalyptus trees after we had dined at Hacienda, a Latin ranch home a century old. It was spring in Peru and the air and earth were tinged with beautiful excitement (maybe it was that sip of Pisco Sour I was peered into before lunch, or the coca tea I drank to help with altitude sickness). All I know is that I felt perfectly happy and natural, and Peruvian. We did model shots for the camera, sang, something not recalled, and viewed the surrounding landscape in joy. We saw flocks of green parrots at the end of the road and walked out into a field to smile at three farmers, using scythes to cut alfalfa.

Then, in the villas of Urubamba, I awoke to the trill of birds and the mid morning light of the sun through my bedroom shutters. From the second floor balcony off my room I stood and breathed the air tinged with the neighboring farmhouse fire. The hills rolled up and down in shadow and light, green and yellow. I saw animals in the farmyard and heard voices, warm language, imperceivable but true, in the nearby. The gardens of our villa were planted with honeysuckle, foxglove, jasmine and other beautiful flowers I didn't know, that fragranced the air like paradise. A whole five days of adventure stood before me and I was at pure peace with the condition.
(I have now attached the picture at the top that shows the view from my balcony!)

Actually being at Machu Pichu was a dream! It was however a tourist attraction, until the evening of our first day. We were tipped off that we should do our best to reenter the park after it had closed and have it to ourselves. We three sneakies did just this and with excitement and fear we got past the gaurdhouse and into the ruins of Machu Picchu at sunset. We were in the windswept summits of an ancient village, alone and out of breath. We were ALIVE! Until Jorge whistled us out and wouldn't even accept our pardones and 10 sole bribe

And at last! Our night in Cusco, on our wind down back to home. We left our tourguide at the main square and with chill in the mountain air, we entered the court to the center fountain. We watched the full moon rise accenting the cathedral towers. We spoke to peddlars in Qechuan and bought more trinkets. Then we spied a family from our hike up Waynapichu the day before. A 70 year old Colombian, his son, daughter and daughters boyfriend. Our friends! We joined with them and spoke for a half hour, exchanging email and words in eachothers language. We kissed them goodbye and walked up the hill to the Monasterio, up the hill on Peru's streets, among Peruvians, with Spanish sounds and words around us and feelings of contentment and joy! Viva el Peru!