All's Well that Ends Well

I was right next to the stage!

The inside of the Globe Theatre

I look like a ghost, but at least this photo proves I was there.

Friday I went back to the Globe to see All's Well that Ends Well, this time with groundling tickets. This means that instead of sitting on one of the uncomfortable wooden benches, I got to stand on the uncomfortable cement floor. After some careful maneuvering Maria and I managed to lean up against the stage, so it was much more comfortable. During some of the slow moments in the first act I worried about my feet hurting. The second act was so awesome that I didn't even think about my feet. I was completely engrossed in the action which was only feet away from me. The stage protrudes into the audience, so I had to move my arms off the edge of the stage so the actors wouldn't trample my fingers. I was that close!

The play itself was awesome! I'm beginning to be convinced that the Globe can do any Shakespeare well, or at least any of the comedies. There was so much in the play that I wouldn't have understood was funny if I'd just read it, but watching it performed was hilarious. Plus, like Much Ado, I hadn't read the play before I saw it, so I got the true experience of watching a play without knowing the ending. When I get back to the States I want to study Shakespeare, but I don't want to spoil the comedies by reading them before I see them performed. I don't think it hurts the tragedies and histories, but the comedies are fun to watch without reading first.


There's just something really exhilarating about watching live theatre done wonderfully! It's just so exciting! So many people mangle Shakespeare. I was in Hamlet when I was about 12, and although we did our best, it was pretty bad. So I've seen Shakespeare done poorly, and I've studied it in class and found it boring. But this is how Shakespeare was meant to be done: under the stars, with professional actors and good directing. When it's done well, you can see why the plays are so timeless.