Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Summer Just Got a Little Less Awesome

Summer is a great time to enjoy the outdoors, and when you add the outdoors to fun activities, it equals a really awesome good time. This year, the awesomeness of summer was dealt two huge blows.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company generally presents one of its plays out in Rock Creek Park during one of the summer months. The outdoor amphitheatre nestled among the trees and under the stars is a magical way to experience Shakespeare. Last year all the roommates of the Harry Potter House went out to see Hamlet. It was a great production and such a fun summer evening spent beneath the warm DC sky. This year, their Free For All under the stars is under the stars no more. Citing unpredictable weather and trying to be more accessible, the Free For All is being moved to the STC's downtown location at Sidney Harmen Hall. I will be there, but with the production no longer under the stars, the twinkle in my eye will be missing.

The big sucker punch in the stomach of summer is the announcement that HBO is pulling its sponsorship of the Screen on the Green outdoor film festival on the National Mall. One night for several weeks throughout the summer a movie is projected to a giant screen right smack in the middle of the Mall with the Capitol in the background. It's one of the coolest things ever. Last year a group of us packed up our blankets and food, smuggled a bottle of wine, and claimed our patch of grass. On the screen that evening: Frank Capra's Arsenic and Old Lace - one of my favorite black and white films!! Just recently I had commented to some friends that I was looking forward to SotG and couldn't wait for the films to be shown. What a giant let down! Sure places like Arlington and Crystal City have similar events, but it's not quite the same. They don't have the Capitol in the background. Sigh...

Photos taken by Laura

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