Shakespeare in Clark Park-Much Ado About Nothing

A Review by Sojourner Ahebee

Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps."

- William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing


Yesterday evening, my mom and I braved the heat and headed out to Clack Park , in University City to see an open-air performance of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. What I loved most about Saturday’s event was the ambiance created by the venue, the audience and, of course, the performance of the actors.

Shakespeare in Clark Park annually presents a play of Shakespeare’s in the summer for free. Audience members come with lawn chairs, blankets, picnic baskets and a huge sense of community. All ages and ethnicities are represented and it’s just plain fun to people watch. There are vendors and kids playing and just a very jovial atmosphere. That’s not to say that the intrigues between Benedick and Beatrice and Claudio and Hero aren’t just as compelling. In fact, I believe the best way to experience Shakespeare is not reading his work in a classroom, but acting it out and seeing it performed, especially live. You can have this opportunity tonight.


Directed by Alex Torra, tonight’s performance, Sunday, July 24th , is the last for this season. Come out tonight and enjoy and remember-it’s free.


Shakespeare in Clark Park Presents


Much Ado About Nothing


7:00 P.M.


Clark Park


43rd and Chester Streets


Philadelphia, PA


www.shakespeareinclarkpark.org

215-462-2115

Love Is Unto Itself A Higher Law-Boethius

Starting today, in New York, same-sex couples can marry. This is great, but I still can’t figure out why so many people are so opposed to same-sex marriages and same-sex relationships. But, I’m glad, as a country, we’re moving in the right direction. Though I am supportive of same-sex relationships, I realize that I know little about the difficulties gay teens face in a society that has not always been open to homosexuality. Here is a site I found of recommended teen books with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters and themes. I plan to enlighten myself and I invite you to do the same.

http://www.alexsanchez.com/gay_teen_books.htm

I know this subject may be difficult for some and offensive to others, but I believe in the power of books to help all of us understand the realities of ourselves and others. I also believe in humor and its power to help open our hearts to the fact that people deserve to be who they are.

Here’s a clip by Wanda Sykes and her take on how it would be if you had to come out about being black. It’s funny and it makes you think.

It's Hard To Save Your Soul-Amy Winehouse

There’s a methadone clinic not far from where I live. It’s on the edge of Fairmount Park, not far from where people picnic, play old world games like cricket, where children touch the world with their hands and where the music from the Mann Center is not strong enough to muffle demons. We pass this opiate addiction treatment center often and see the patients make their daily trek to save themselves. It’s not always a pretty sight, but I imagine addiction is a horrible beast and to fight it requires all your soul. Some people, I guess, aren’t up for the fight.

I was sad, really sad, to learn today of Amy Winehouse’s death, which occurred yesterday. I love her sound, her style and her seeming disappointment with the world. What I appreciate most about Amy was how her sound and style opened my ears to other singers I might have not discovered so easily on my own-Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Sam Cooke.


May she rest in peace.

Fire in the Booth-Akala

Illustration by Ben Jennings

Today is Nelson Mandela’s birthday! Happy Birthday Madiba!  Here is my birthday gift to you-my readers-in honor of this special occasion.  Give a listen to Akala, a young and thoughtful rapper from England.  If you can stay with him for the ride-Fire in the Booth-you’ll feel like you’ve been somewhere.  He sounds like a wise, young man.

Tales From Arab America

I count the Video Scribe Center and the projects it produces and the learning it facilitates as having a major impact on how I open myself to the world. Last summer my brother and I took a great filmmaking course for young people at Scribe. As part of its Storyville series, Scribe will present on Friday, July 8th, a series of short films exploring the ideas of culture and identity of Muslim and Arab Americans.



Click the following link to learn more information about this event. http://scribe.org/events/talesarabamerica

 To learn more about the amazing events, courses and workshops sponsored by Scribe, click this link:  http://scribe.org/

See you at the movies!