Posted by Alice Gunther on May 31, 2007 in Cottage Garden | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
We woke from our Midsummer Night's Dream to find ourselves approaching the end of May without having taken a single Nature Walk or, other than our Marian May Baskets, completed any of our planned Marian Crafts. With a few days left, we hope to make up for lost time and began yesterday with a long walk through our favorite local gardens (the place that was the setting for our final performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream last week). Here Maureen and Eileen frolic in front of our dream thatched cottage--it is not our own, but we love it as if it were.
It did my heart good to nurse Eileen at a bench, breathing in the wild bouquet of lilacs, watching red-winged blackbirds, flashing fish, and romping, happy children.
Margaret discovered that the unassuming purple flowers dotting the lawn look like fairies' teddy bears. This little fellow rests on my new pink shawl. According to Agnes, the shawl is "the springtime equivalent of the Irish Walking Cape."
How many more chances will I have to see my older two girls holding hands? This photo seems the perfect symbol of a family growing up--with the older ones setting out toward a bright future and the younger ones not far behind.
How is it possible that a little one who was not even born this time last year could trot all over the gardens with us, looking like some pale purple blossom freshly sprung?
Slow down, Time, slow down! Let me tarry a while here in this place with these children!
Blessed be thou, fair, sweet May!
Posted by Alice Gunther on May 22, 2007 in Cottage Garden, Home Education, Mothering, Nature Study, Photos, Pondering | Permalink | Comments (20) | TrackBack (0)
After two Cottage Garden performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream, the children had the honor of presenting the show at a local Museum and formal Garden. As you will see from the photographs below, the setting was perfect for our frolicking fairies, with lush lawns, a glassy pool, and even a Greek Theatre.
Titania and her attendants were a page out of an Arthur Rackham fairy book:
Mischievous Puck and Hapless Bottom:
The cast at the Greek Theatre:
A Woodland Fairy:
[HT for this last lovely photo: MacBeth]
*******
My friend, Almamater, of the lovely blog, Soul of the Home, was kind enough to write:
Absolutely gorgeous! I hope you will offer more commentary on how all of this was organized...how often were rehearsals, how were roles assigned (auditions?), etc. A hearty congratulations to ALL involved with the production!
Many thanks for asking, Almamater! Here is the long version, told I fear, in about as many words as the unabridged play itself:
In late September of 2005, we collaborated with four or five families to put on a skit called "Comus." My friend Kari had read that this play is presented every year at Ludlow Castle on the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel and thought it would be a wonderful tradition to begin with our children. Kari wrote our version based on a fabulous picture book adapted from John Milton's original work by Margaret Hodges and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. Kari directed, MacBeth created the scenery, and I hosted the practices and performance. We called ourselves "The Front Lawn Players," with a humorous tip of the hat to my front lawn. Our oldest cast member was then about twelve. The skit, which took six weeks to prepare and perform, was so enjoyable and successful, that we planned to repeat it as a yearly event.
Then in the Summer of 2006, Kari suggested we try instead an adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream from the out of print book, Shakespeare for Young Players: from Tens to Teens by Gertrude Lerner Kerman. She assigned parts to the original Front Lawn Players without audition, expecting to prepare and perform in the same six week time frame as Comus. From start to finish, the play would have taken about twenty minutes to a half hour to complete. Puck was the central character in the abridged version, and my daughter Margaret, the perfect eight-year-old imp for the role, learned her lines in a day. This made Kari wonder if we might not be able to do a longer version, particularly when we realized that the play had not only been cut down in the abridgement, but also altered significantly in form and language. Who wants to perform Shakespeare that isn't really Shakespeare?
The other mothers and I were all for performing the full length version, but this changed matters significantly. We would not be able to work in the planned six week time frame, but would need the entire school year to practice and learn the parts. One or two cast members could not make the commitment and dropped out, but we managed to fill all the roles with children from our local homeschooling group. We met weekly at our house from October 2006 to the time of our performances in May, with all the mothers helping to bring the production together. Mary Smith and a group of the children designed and created the wonderful costumes. MacBeth and another contingent worked on the sets and program. Caroline, Mary Ellen, Tracey, Julie, Tricia, Patrice and Patty helped behind the scenes with everything from sewing and snacks to props and baby-holding. The talented Libby Derham, Ryan Barrett, and Sean Tuffy provided the music. It was an amazing collaboration and group effort with each person offering something unique and necessary.
In the end, we performed twice in the Cottage Garden and once in the gracious setting pictured above. Each and every time, the cast was applauded by a large and appreciative crowd. It was amazing to see these young children put heart, soul and effort into their performances. The cast lived and breathed Shakespeare for a year, and what an experience it was! [Does anyone remember six-year-old Marie's Spoons from last year?] From October to May, the children grew into their parts and soared, putting on a memorable and heartfelt performance defying their young ages (averaging about ten, with the roles of Puck and Nick Bottom pulled off by two nine-year-olds). The Museum was only too happy to host the final production, welcoming us with open arms and even sending a PR person to photograph.
I cannot stress enough what a delightful, edifying, and worthwhile project this was for all of us, and the children--already close friends--are as affectionate toward one another as cousins after this shared experience. Best of all, everyone in my house from thirteen to three is able to quote Shakespeare and quote it well. Maureen, our three year old, makes a plucky miniature Puck if ever there was one!
From now on, my prayer is that Springtime will always mean Shakespeare in the Garden!
Posted by Alice Gunther on May 19, 2007 in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Cottage Garden, Favorite Poems, Gift Basket, Home Education, Photos, Shakespeare in the Garden | Permalink | Comments (20) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Alice Gunther on May 18, 2007 in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Cottage Garden, Home Education, Literature, Photos, Shakespeare in the Garden | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)
My view is no doubt colored by the sweeping strokes of mother's admiration, but, to me, the children's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream was the most magical, memorable, and magnificent performance imaginable. (I am, after all, the mother of Titania, Hermia, Puck, Cobweb, the changeling boy, and the littlest fairy!)
Here are a few scenes:
"Full of vexation come I with complaint against my child, my daughter, Hermia."
"The course of true love never did run smooth."
Titania and her retinue of sprites.
"Set your heart at rest. The fairy land buys not the child of me!"
INTERMISSION:
The three inseparable First Communicants, this time arrayed as fairies, were caught on the scooters once more. When MacBeth saw me running off to get this shot, she quipped, "You can bill it as 'The Scooter Photos: Pagan Edition.'" (I hope you will agree that this line was too funny not to repeat.)
Many more photos to come, but I must start our day!
Posted by Alice Gunther on May 18, 2007 in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Cottage Garden, Gift Basket, Home Education, Humor, Photos, Shakespeare in the Garden | Permalink | Comments (18) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Alice Gunther on May 11, 2007 in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Cottage Garden, Shakespeare in the Garden | Permalink | Comments (15) | TrackBack (0)
Who better than our darling Jennifer to host the Loveliness of Gardens Fair? Thanks to her eloquence and eye for beauty, we are all feeling just As Cozy as Spring today.
Posted by Alice Gunther on May 07, 2007 in Cottage Garden, Odds and Ends | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
in the Cottage Garden.
Posted by Alice Gunther on May 06, 2007 in Cottage Garden, Crafts, Crownings, and Celebrations, Living the Liturgical Year, Marian Activities, Mothering, Music | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Our parish May Crowning will take place on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, May 13th. In the meantime, we held our annual Immaculate Heart of Mary Homeschooling Group May Crowning in our home yesterday. Thanks to Marie's recent First Holy Communion party, we had the luxury of a tent this year--a very good thing with skies threatening to rain all morning. Our Lady came through for us with a golden, clear afternoon, the perfect day to "Bring Flow'rs of the Fairest."
Blue was the color of the day.
As always, our lovely First Communicants crowned Our Lady, bearing her golden crown on a flower-sprigged pillow. The rest of the children processed in with flowers, placing them on the May altar before saying the Rosary, all the while singing traditional hymns in Latin and English, led by my friend, Lynn Wilson. We prayed for all of you, stopping to mention the many prayer requests made in our local group and online. We said prayers of thanksgiving for blessings received and remembered Heather who is having surgery as I type this.
Marie was thrilled to receive a pair of pink Rosaries, handmade by her sweet friend, Mary.
I hesitated before posting these pictures of not one, but three, First Communicants flying on the scooters (you aren't sick of scooters, are you?), but who can resist this? These three girls were inseparable all day and as ubiquitous as snowflakes in a storm. (That's the lovely Erin from the Bonny Blue House on the right, a vision in her shamrock-studded gown.) Sometime toward the end of the afternoon, Agnes made the observation, "You know, the First Communicants are really dispelling the myth that you can't be active in long skirts!"
I found them "hanging around" together on the tree and sprinted across the yard to catch the moment forever.
Three-year-old Maureen held court, as usual.
And made a beautiful new friend.
Fair maidens to honor the "Fairest of Queens, in the fairest of seasons, Sweet May"! [Please be sure to click on this image to enlarge. It may be my favorite photo ever, tied with the darling one directly above it!]
Name Dropping (in addition to all the wonderful IHM moms, many familiar friends were on hand):
MacBeth
Helen
Mary Ellen
Heather
Lissa (by phone!)
Posted by Alice Gunther on May 03, 2007 in Cottage Garden, Crafts, Crownings, and Celebrations, Faith, Feast Days, Living the Liturgical Year, Marian Activities, Photos | Permalink | Comments (19) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Alice Gunther on April 28, 2007 in Cottage Garden, Faith, Gift Basket, Living the Liturgical Year, Photos | Permalink | Comments (39) | TrackBack (0)