... out in Spring Green last night, at the American Players Theatre's production of "Anton's Shorts."But no, the play was not about shorts. It was a series of 5 short plays. "Anton" is Anton Chekhov. We loved it! Laughed a lot. Cried once each — at different things.
The director writes:
[Chekhov's] early "low-brow" comedies and vaudevilles, like the ones in Anton's Shorts, were written and sold largely to make money for his family after his father was forced to declare bankruptcy. It wasn't until a visit to 1887/1888 visit to Steppe that he came into his literary adulthood, writing ever more serious short stories about people feeling trapped in their lives, and finally plays like the ones we still produce today. While Chekhov was often pegged as having a fairly pessimistic view of people, he disagreed, saying: "I wanted to tell people honestly: 'Look at yourselves. See how badly you live and how tiresome you are.'"
As for all the men in shorts... it was a pretty hot day, and it was still daytime when the play started....
... and, as you can see, we were outdoors. There's a delightful walk into the woods to this theater, an uphill walk. It's not a little walk from your air-conditioned car to an air-conditioned theater. We were out in the wilds of what Chekhov — as a character on stage — called "rural Wisconsin."
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Am pretty sure it was one of the hottest/most humid days of the year so far yesterday. I don't have linen trousers. My long pants are really too warm for days like yesterday.
We're men, we're men in shorrrrts!
We stand around the grill talking about sports!
Russian comedy? Hmmmm... Russians have been dealing with the darkest tragedy for so long, they just might be history's experts.
The play started at 6, so the sun was low. It's the glaring direct sun that is the worst. Here the sun went down and it cooled off a lot. We worried about the heat more than we should have. It turned out fine.
I give a pass for men in shorts if the weather is really hot and you're going to be outdoors.
And also if you just look great in shorts.
I always try to wear long pants (and long sleeves) to APT because of mosquitoes. Not a fan of going there in Summer because I'm usually overwarm.
Shorts paired with a collared shirt can be quite nice. Shorts are more commonly paired with a tee shirt which is a less attractive combination.
"I always try to wear long pants (and long sleeves) to APT because of mosquitoes."
Yeah, I wore long (loose) pants too, mostly for that reason (but also because I never want skin contact with theater seats).
"Not a fan of going there in Summer because I'm usually overwarm."
Once you buy tickets, you're stuck with it.
My biggest problem is I don't like to stay up late but I can't tolerate the direct sunlight and do a matinee. The compromise for me was to find one of the 6pm start times, so we were home by 9:30.
Have you ever read any of his nontheatrical works? A Chekhov short story titled in English either as "Grief" or "Misery" is heart-wrenching.
“The Bear”? I have a copy of the script buried somewhere in a box, but it’s called “The Boor.” I was going to be Luka, but we never actually put it on. These days, of course, I’d play Smirnov.
What a great setting! It surely cries out for shorts.
Outdoor chekov in winsconsin. Air conditioning not available.
We had bought tickets back in April to see both "Anton's Shorts" and "Merry Wives of Windsor" later this week, but my wife's unplanned surgery meant we had do give our tickets away (note: you can change the date of your ATP tickets if there is availability, but you can't get a refund). I guess the sliver lining is that it's forecast to be 97 degrees in Spring Green on Wednesday when we were supposed to be there, and having a weather temperament similar to Althouse's, I would have been very uncomfortable.
My husband recently started wearing shorts- cargos, I guess. He wears them w/his camouflage crocs. His feet are very free and comfortable in them(he’s got the worst calloused feet ever)(podiatrist bad)and he told me he just doesn’t care, anymore, what people think.
I think he looks great.
“Cried once each — at different things.”
Did I say I cried? A silent tear maybe. Could’ve been sweat. It was very humid up on that hill. Plus the two old men were all either had left in the world as they each came to realize, at life’s end, the enormous treasure of having the other’s company and audience and affection, sharing memories of a unique history of suffering and joy — no wife, no children — each having given his entire life to the shabby little theatre that still employed and provided them a, sort of, home and family. Timeless. Universal.
Maybe a touch maudlin. But in a good way — like an old country song or an Irish ballad.
I think these two in the front don’t look too bad. But I understand the position against men in shorts and sympathize with it.
“ I think these two in the front don’t look too bad.”
I agree. They look fine.
“ Did I say I cried? A silent tear maybe.”
I said I cried at something and you said you did too.
Don’t remember if I used the word “cry”, but I was only referring to silent tearing up.
Is “cry” such a big word?
Nice description of what happened in the 4th short play. Makes me want to see it again
"And also if you just look great in shorts."
That's what I'm going with.
Chekhov and beautiful carpentry. Brutalist wood in the woods. I think I know why I can't read fiction anymore. Once you've lived it, is Chekov still bearable?
Uniqlo make the best linen pants for men.
I'm partial to seersucker.
Went to the APT staging of Romeo and Juliet last Saturday. There was no advance notice that it was an “inclusive” version. I guess it makes sense that most of the population of 17th century Verona would be black/Asian, since America hadn’t yet invented racism. However, this was also deaf-inclusive or whatever that’s called, so several of the main characters were deaf and communicated only in sign. This led to some amusing incongruities, as in the balcony scene, where a deaf Romeo “overhears” Juliet’s spoken “wherefore art thou Romeo” soliloquy. Overall it was an entertaining performance, and cans of bug spray are thoughtfully provided at several stations along the path to the theater.
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