This is some good news, and it's not even Wednesday --
Over in London, they're excavating and rebuilding The Rose, the theater Shakespeare first worked in.
http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/theatre/news/story.jsp?story=612875
Apparently it was relocated in 1989, and they've been messing with it ever since, and have gotten around to deciding to refurbish it. It's going to be an historical site, not a full-time theater, which is sort of bad news. I like the idea of all Shakespeare all the time at The Rose. Instead it looks like they're going to read sonnets and give tours. Well, better than nothing.
3 hours ago
1 comment:
I visited the Rose site on my last trip to London. It is quite impressive. Located in the ground-floor level of a high-rise office building named for it, the space is climate controlled and the light sensitive excavation must be kept in complete darkness. Several times a year, there are performances offered there though the public can visit the site any weekday. What amazed me most was Southwark’s commitment to the preservation the Rose despite the value of the property. I can't see that happening in this Land of Capitialists. It is in one of the highest rent districts. This was a lesson they learned from the original Globe, now covered by a parking lot and apartments. Balancing the excavation, preservation, and public access is quite a trick. Oddly enough, financial exploitation is not an issue. The owners of the building that houses the Rose are footing the bill for the environmental controls, rent-free excavation space, and the public may visit free (Like all of Britain’s museums: They are publicly funded and so the public does not have to “pay again” to get in.) Cheers to those who understand that some things are more valuable than profit and property development!
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