Noah Rocks!

I'll post photos after Jacob downloads them tomorrow.

What a great night! I can't express how much I love the Shakespeare company in this town. They have been our church, really. This group of actors and theater people are our niche that lets us know we fit into Cincinnati somehow.

Noah opened the play (first line) and took command of the stage. His character is love sick throughout which was fun to watch. He even got to "kiss the girl" (main character) at the end of the show and we had fun teasing him about it (she's a gem). Noah got to be in a couple of fight scenes but particularly a wrestling match at the beginning of the show. He and the partner in the match have been in lots of Shakespeare scenes over the years, even ones which included fighting (Tybalt and Mercutio being the most recent). We got such a kick out of seeing them go at it again.

If you have teenage boys who seem disinterested in Shakespeare, I always suggest teaching them to act out a fight scene. Stage combat quickly makes Shakespeare very cool.

I was especially gratified to see how much Noah has gorwn as an actor. Both Jon and I saw that he had composure, stage presence, a well-developed characterization and was both loud and clear throughout. He's taller than lots of actors and with his long hair, he really does have that Shakespearean look about him. He loves the language. He made the audience laugh as well as engaged them in the story. I was very proud.

I, too, was a theater kid in high school and was in every show we did all four years. My mom was a theater major in college. It was really special to be there together (my mom and me) watching the next generation perform and fall in love with the power of acting.

Jon and I've watched the Shakespeare camp performances for years. They usually do a scene with another actor that lasts about five minutes with some ensemble work. The camps only last a week. This was different. These kids have worked every week on this particular play since January. They've been together as friends who act for upwards of four and five years. There is a sense of community and culture that pervades their little band.

I loved what I witnessed. And I love that all these teens love Shakespeare. The baton is being passed to the next generation.

Huzzah!