OK, folks…final bits from OSF 2009, Part Un.

Years ago, I used to love this little restaurant in Noe Valley called The Flying Saucer. At the end of the meal, they brought you the lightest cloud of pink cotton candy you’ve ever seen, piled high in a martini glass. It was supposed to cleanse your palette as you perused the desert menu. This was not your carnival cotton candy. It dissolved on your tongue so quickly, you hardly knew it was there.

The Servant of Two Masters is much like that cotton candy. It’s a fun, light, lovely bit of commedia dell’arte that’s what you would call a crowd pleaser. It cleansed my palette for weightier things. There’s lots of fun bits that are improvised and keeps the actors cracking up at themselves and getting the audience involved. It’s not really my cup of tea, but I had a good time. I just need a little bit more weight, even in my comedies.

But the biggest surprise for me this season was The Scottish Play…dare I say it…MACBETH. After this production, I walked out of the theater with a bounce in my step, grinning from ear to ear, thinking “that was fun!” How many times can you say that about the scowly Scot and his wife? Think Macbeth as Tim Burton might imagine it. They embraced the horror full on and I’m here to tell you, it’s freaky frightening. It was so awesome! Gone is the metaphysical-what-does-it-all-mean interpretation from their last production and in comes the scary witches, creepy setting, and betrayed friends dripping in blood. It was fab.

OK, so that’s it for the May trip. OSF 2009, Part Deux is the last week of September. Those of you planning to join in for the fun, let me know. Up on my agenda for the September trip:

If you’re coming on the big trip in September, it’s the same gig as usual. You find your own place to stay and buy your own tix. We’ll meet up there for plays and great food and drinks and shopping and fun. I may have room for two people or more in the suite at Arden Forest Inn, so let me know if you’re interested. Don’t miss out on this season. It’s been awesome so far.

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