I haven’t written a long post for a week. I suppose this is what comes of trying to balance a more than full time job with directing Shakespeare and trying to get the final edits in on a third book. Not that I’m complaining or anything. I figure that my usual round of over commitments has a net positive effect on the world and I usually am in the right place at the right time for whatever is expected of me. I perfected the art of being in two places at once a number of decades ago. I just have difficulties with three places at once.
What should I write about? There’s really nothing new to report in regards to pandemic news other than it’s still out there and there should be new boosters available in the fall. There’s a new omicron variant XBB that seems to be causing some issues and I believe they are tweaking for greater efficacy against that one. Most of the cases I’m hearing about at the moment are the stay home and feel miserable for a couple of days and then you’re over it variety. The problem is you’ve got about a 1/8 chance with every infection of developing significant long Covid symptoms so every case you avoid can save you mucho grief in the future.
The big news story of the day is the rapidly deteriorating situation in Russia where the Wagner group has turned on the Putin regime in a mutiny which may or may not be a well planned coup. The stories that are emerging from Russia and the Ukraine are conflicting and all I can say is that I hope not too many innocent civilians get caught in the cross-fire. I’m also rather concerned as to just who is going to end up with the various armaments, nuclear and conventional and just what they’re going to do with them. The Wagner group are no heroes; they’re a band of thug mercenaries so I can’t say they’d be an improvement on Russia’s professional military.
I do have travel plans for Eastern Europe this fall, but I’m going no further East than Poland and Slovakia so I don’t think there will be any problems. I’m putting off visits to Kyiv, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Belarus for a while. I have no particular wish to experience being a tourist in a war zone. I’ve been a tourist caught in a hurricane a couple of times and that’s been bad enough. I cannot recommend riding out a hurricane in a beach front hotel on a Caribbean island as Steve and I once did. Fortunately, we had not splurged for the ocean view room. We had a garden view on the back of the building and were relatively well protected.
I am taking a passel of children to a production of Peter Pan tomorrow afternoon. The last time that show was done in this particular theater, I played Mr. Darling, but that was 19 years ago and I’ve aged out of the part. I could probably still get away with Captain Hook or Smee. Two of my charges are teens who will probably roll their eyes at the ‘Do You Believe in Fairies?’ moment. The other is seven so I am hoping for some strong belief from her. Personally, I will probably mutter sotto voce ‘Believe in them? Why I know hundreds…’
First read through for A Midsummer Night’s Dream happens on Monday. I haven’t directed Shakespeare since 1984 so I hope I’m up to the task. I’ve been doing a bunch of script study and making some cuts of some of the more esoteric classical references that do absolutely nothing to move the plot along. I think I’ve got a grip on it and have about seven weeks to mold it into shape. If I can get my actors to get the tone right, the end result should be a lot of fun. I was out at the theater this morning meeting with the tech folk. Set and costumes are well in hand.
I’m still casting about for the next writing project after the third volume of The Accidental Plague Diaries is complete and out. Suggestions are being taken from the floor.
Life, The Universe, and Everything 