A Farewell To The Folger!

Your friendly blogger realizing he hasn’t yet packed.

Blog Last:

If you missed Romeo & Juliet at the Folger, you missed a good one.

Here are my final blog thoughts in random order.

This is the first cast of this size that I can remember where everyone has a job already lined up in the future. EVERYONE! Which is some kind of mathematical miracle, or the third sign of the apocalypse.

Sometimes, when you’re sitting at a poker table and you can’t identify the sucker, you should get up from the table, because you’re it. In a cast where you can’t identify the jerk, then it’s incumbent to not be the jerk. We had no jerks in this cast. Unless it was me. Or Aaron Bliden (Benvolio).

Living with these five other people in a nine bedroom row-house was only challenging in the kitchen a few times. Mostly because Eric Hissom (our Friar Lawrence, among others) makes it easy by cooking at off hours, then heating his meals — and Shannon Koob (Lady Capulet) eats like a 14 year-old boy (microwave burritos, PB&J, mac & cheese). Although Brad Koed (Mercutio) has yet to do a dish. We still like Brad though.

I failed in my goal of getting a picture of me kissing Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the cheek. My wife and I have this idea for a Xmas Card, and that was going to go in, if I got it. In fact, I must be the only person who’s lived in DC for 11 weeks and has yet to see a politico I recognized. I keep hearing about famous politician sightings, but I guess I’m out of the loop.

Kissing a statue of Einstein isn’t nearly as cool as kissing Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Capital Bikeshare ROCKS!

The weather was fantastic, until the last week and a half.

The theatre is gorgeous. What a wonderful place to play. Intimate, interesting, historic, and there’s funky dudes carved into the wood. You don’t get that everywhere, I can tell you that.

We had a pot luck on Saturday late in the run. Some of these folks can COOK! Oh, and actors…you totally want Sherri Edelen in shows you do. Not only is she a talented actress, she brings in baked goods to die for.

This is about the most “Aaron/Erin” heavy show I’ve ever done. AARON Bliden plays Benvolio, ERIN Weaver is Juliet, AARON Posner is the director and Shannon Koob’s husband visited a number of times. His name? Aaron…what else?

Speaking of spouses and partners and the like, everyone’s significant other was cool. And THAT is also, not always the case. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I get it that most of them are on their best behavior because who wants to be the jerk from out of town who drops in and makes life miserable, but husbands, wives, girlfriends, all were their own kind of joy to have around. Although, I guess it helps that wives & girlfriends came on separate weeks (rim-shot!). Allen’s wife, Randolyn just made the most incredible pumpkin spoon bread (whatever THAT is). Shannon’s husband Aaron was a kick and a half when he was here. Plus, Shannon got to eat better, so that was nice. I do have to point out that Brad’s girlfriend Val might be a few slices short of a loaf when it comes to card games, but she’s way fun to have around! At most, we had 14 folks sleeping in the house. Somehow it all worked out. I hear the record is 19. Two in each bedroom (which seems difficult as three of them have twin beds) and a third person in one of them.

Three bathrooms somehow worked out. I can’t remember ever having to wait for one. I do remember on two occasions having to go down two flights and take a shower in the bathroom off the kitchen on the ground floor where the faucets don’t follow the “righty-tighty/lefty-loosey” rule. Why, I don’t know? Oh, and the water heater makes the single most hottest water I have ever felt coming out of a faucet. There is no question that you could easily scald yourself to death in the shower. No question. And that is totally not a complaint. Give me hot, I’ll regulate it down with the cold. And, somehow, I never ran out of hot water. This is another minor miracle in actor housing.

The crazy cast, crew and design team of Romeo & Juliet.

So…yeah.

You want to invite me back?

I could do this town again.

Although, I’m totally out of blog ideas.

As if you couldn’t tell.

Bye-bye, Washington DC.

I’ll miss this one.

All Love,

Brian Dykstra