Shakespeare in the Arb

Somehow, the pace of life has not yet returned to normal! This week we've been frantically unpacking and settling into our place together, frantically making all the arrangements for the honeymoon, and frantically trying to write my conference paper for the end of the month. But last night we took a break to see a performance of "Much Ado about Nothing" in Nichols Arboretum, a huge and beautiful nature preserve running alongside the Huron River in Ann Arbor. I've been wanting to see a performance of "Shakespeare in the Arb" for years now, but I always seem to be out of town in June. This is presumably my last summer in Ann Arbor, and moreover, my good friend Brianne was part of the cast!

It was a cool and cloudy evening, but still pleasant for enjoying the show. The performance was mobile – at the close of certain scenes and acts, we all got up, picked up our chairs and blankets, and followed a woman bearing a flag to the next stop. Unusual, but also novel and lively!

Sarah and John joined us. Relaxing on our picnic blanket at the start of the show:

My conference paper remains unfinished (and I depart for NYC tomorrow), but I'm glad we went. I've become so accustomed to worrying constantly about my to-do list and my productivity level, and I want to get out of that habit. Life is short, let's enjoy some moments together, right?