And then it was Summer! Hot and sunny with a two-day-a-week work schedule, the shift is quick and extreme and I am thoroughly enjoying it. One of my favorite aspects of the city at this time is the wealth of free outdoor cultural events. Concerts in Prospect Park have been supremely fun, with Amadou and Mariam, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Os Mutantes and Javelin providing the early season entertainment in my backyard. The venue is perfect and free events promote attendance, so bringing a group of friends to see a show by a band few have heard is easy; everyone has a good time at these events and the community thrives. Among other great offerings, I am particularly looking forward to Philip Glass’ Dracula this weekend, The Devil Makes Three and Trampled By Turtles for some hot bluegrass and electronic wizard and audience organizer Dan Deacon later this Summer.
Perhaps the greatest cultural gem in the city is Shakespeare in the Park. Free, outdoor theater is such a rarity and the Public Theater’s commitment to the concept is unparallelled. I would happily wait in line all day for tickets, but having a wife with connections is even better, so we avoid the lines and arrive at showtime! The Comedy of Errors is classic mistaken-identity slapstick and this production was stylized as a Swing-era, upstate New York gangster spoof. The language, as always, is deft and clever and the actors are absolutely brilliant as they bring the text to life. It rained a bit as we watched, but it only added to the magic… I can’t wait to see what Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson team Alex Timbers and Michael Friedman have cooked up for Love’s Labor Lost, A New Musical!
With so much free time and beautiful weather, all I want in my life is outdoor relaxation and “The Land” is one of the greatest spots on Earth to enjoy it. With woods and a pond and a recently added enormous vegetable garden, it is Eden. While our annual Land Party is on hiatus this year for the imminent arrival of our child, we were still able to enjoy it last week by ourselves. I did not leave the grounds for five days and spent most of my hours lying in the meadow, swimming in the pond or eating fresh food from the garden. I actually did work some of the time, assisting in the construction of a storage shed, but mostly I was in full chill-out mode. My quiet personal time may be coming to an end soon but I am incredibly excited about the impending child-rearing adventure and look forward to sharing the beauty of Summer in the City with my family!