A little ado about nothing much

I had it all planned. A midweek evening out. Meeting up with my man and our child after their day at work and daycare respectively. A stroll through Old Montreal. A quick supper, maybe even just fries and ice cream. And then a little Shakespeare. In the park.

I was ready to go, planning to take care of an errand or two on my way. Then it started to rain. To storm.

I phoned the theatre office. They told me to bring an umbrella. No, there was no indoor backup venue. But the show must go on.

Much Ado About Nothing — I'd been looking forward to this for weeks, and Ella's recent review had upped my aniticipation. But it'd be pushing my luck to get either J-F or Helena to sit through Shakespeare in the rain. I'd go on my own, I decided. I whipped over to the store to get a frozen pizza for their dinner, to buy their indulgence. Plenty of time still to get them fed and hear about Helena's day before showtime. Even the skies cleared up.

The Old Port was quite desolate when I got there. Show cancelled. In that small window of time between when I called and when the rain let up. I was home before J-F and Helena returned from the park.

I've been moping about this all day. Why bother living in a city with great cultural attractions if you never bother to take advantage of them (oh, just to know that I could if I wanted to)? Of course, it's no one's fault, but I feel picked on — why me? I never get to go anywhere...

The show runs through August 15, but I'm set to leave town in a few days, and the venues for shows between now and then are far from convenient. I missed last year's production cuz I was visiting my mother. I'm debating postponing this trip to see my mom for another day to catch a performance close to home, but I don't know how I'd break it to her, and this show will probably be rained out anyway.


Repercussion Theatre presents Much Ado About Nothing, swing-style, "as if it is inhabited by The Rat Pack."