Did I have time to go see Coriolanus performed in the park across the street?  No, no I absolutely did not, I have a presentation to put together about concussed juvenile rats.

Do I regret going to see Coriolanus performed in the park across the street?  Not even slightly.  Guys, it was GREAT, Sicinia was vicious and funny and sparkling, and Volumina was a wrathful goddess every step of the way, and the actor who played Coriolanus absolutely CRUSHED it, totally made up for the fact that the two senators were a little flat.  Aufidius and Coriolanus were played with this gorgeous level of tension somewhere between genuine loathing and lust (c’mon, y’all, Shakespeare would be proud that the two of them are being played with homoerotic tension, Shakespeare would live for homoerotic tension in his plays, read Sonnet 18), and the speech after Aufidius broke Coriolanus’ neck was beautifully delivered, remarkably moving.  

Also there was a guy behind me who really didn’t realize what he was getting into, because he was talking during intermission about looking forward to seeing how Coriolanus would be reconciled with Rome.  Sweetheart.  Darling.  It’s a tragedy.  This isn’t even spoilers, this play is 400 years old, Coriolanus dies.

Also-also, I will never stop being amused by Shakespeare’s No Fucks Given attitude to historical accuracy.  Coriolanus is set in ancient Rome, with patricians and senators and tribunes and the whole nine, and the characters are running around talking about the country of Italy and clocks and shit, it’s hilarious.  And like if you tell your average non-educated-in-Shakespeare person this, they’ll assume that ancient Rome actually had those things, because they haven’t fully appreciated that the Bard was sort of making it up as he went.  Like I’m pretty sure there are historical errors in the Histories, and not just of the “Well, I personally dislike this historical figure so I’m going to make them an asshole” variety.