WIR: Judi Dench: Shakespeare, The Man Who Pays The Rent

 It's been a good while since I posted about what I'm reading.  This was a gift from a dear friend and IS a gift from a woman, I now feel is also a dear friend.  The contents are the transcribed interviews by Brendan O'Hea of Judi reminiscing about her many roles in Shakespeare plays over her long and storied career.  The result is an intimate portrait not only of this award winning actor and master of the Bard's words, but a coming to life of those very words.  Dame Judi explores both the considered meaning of Shakespeare's genius, but also the many places and people who have guided her journey.  The book is simply delicious.  A must read for anyone who admires Judi Dench, and a fascinating foray into the mind and magic of William Shakespeare, too.

Dinner: Creamy Sweat Italian Sausage and Vegetable Zuppa

 

Chesapeake Shakespeare Company: Mary Stuart

 Another home run with two amazing actors in the roles of Mary Stuart and Queen Elizabeth I.  With a front row seat that literally put me at the feet of the actors, it was easy to not miss a beat.  Lise Bruneau's passionate Mary Stuart exploded from her every move, gesture, and line.  She is a masterful actor who embraces characters full throttle.  The perfect person to play Mary.  Lesley Malin'a Elizabeth was intelligent, subdued at times, at times conflicted, but in the end cunning.  The cast of male characters were played nearly as shadows, mirror reflected the women, at times just pieces of furniture.  And in the end, none of them matter.  It wasn't their story.  Don't misunderstand my meaning.  They were just exactly what they needed to be.  

The original play was written at the end of the 18th century by Friedrich Schiller, and this version was up-dated by Peter Oswald.   Having never seen the original, I have no idea what exactly Schiller brought to the canvas.  However, there were several instances of tongue in cheek humor that did feel like contemporary slights.  The set was simple and with the help of projections glorious at the same time.  But the standout were the costumes!  Kristina Lambdin deserves a standing ovation all her own.

Finally, I experienced something with this performance that I have never seen before.  And as egregious as it was, it did not dampen my enthusiasm for the show.  The role of William Cecil, Lord Burleigh was covered by the understudy, Nathan Rosen.  While clearly "familiar" with the character and the roll, Rosen performed the entire character with script in hand!  At first, because when he arrives, he's come to share an edict, I thought it was a prop.  It took me about 3 minutes to realize that he was actually reading from it!  I will give him that William Cecil is not a minor roles.  But still.  And of course, it not just his presence with a script that detracts, it effects his interactions with all of the others on stage.  In one instance he had to juggle the script and snatch a piece of paper from another character which was a bit challenging.  

Of course, there is a little pre-show merriment.  Today it was the cast performing three minstrel numbers, period pieces were the two, the other a contemporary number to the playwright with lyrics written by him.  Intermission saw the giving away of a bottle of Prosecco, an intermission tradition.  Chesapeake Shakespeare Company is always a fun place to see the play.

Mary Stuart (Lise Bruneau) with her nurse, Hanna Kennedy (Jamie Virostiko)

Mary attempting to ingratiate herself with her jailor, Amias Paulet, Knight.   She convinces him to convey a letter of contrition to the Queen.

Mortimer (Joshua Williams), born again Papist who has sworn a secret allegiance to save Mary with his uncle Paulet, who is unaware of his subterfuge. 

The Queens meet: Mary Stuart and Elizabeth I (Lesley Malin)--this is something that NEVER happened in real life.  And Elizabeth allows Mary to stand in her presence.

However, she will not bow down to her.

The lover of both women, after betraying both at least once, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (DeJeanette Horne) attempts to repair the damage by denying the treason in order to maintain his own head upon his own shoulders.

Mary making her last confession with the help of her longtime friend, and steward, Melvil (Paul Diem)

With Mary dead, Dudley escaped to France, her High Treasurer banished, her last friend in the world, George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, (Gregory Burgess) retires leaving her all alone on an empty, ever darkening stage.

Spring in My Gardens

 

Habemus Papam!: Pope Leo XIV

 Robert Francis Prevost, Cardinal Deacon of Santa Monica, Prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops, President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, and Titular Cardinal Bishop of Albano, 4th from the top in hierarchy of the Holy Roman Apostalic and Catholic Church  entered the conclave with 132 other Cardinals this humble servant and exited just two days later at Pope Leo XIV.  

You know the last Leo, Leo the 13th, reigned from 1878 to 1903, when he died at the age of 93!  Perhaps the gift of longevity was also in Cardinal Prevost's mind when he selected the name Leo.  If he were to emulate the lifespan of his most recent namesake predecessor, his rule could last until the year of our Lord, 2049!  

It's been said, though, that it is his admiration of the emphasis Pope Leo XIII placed upon the plight of the poor in the midst of the abject poverty that the industrial revolution created.  He, having been born in 1810, would certainly have seen the paradigm shift from rural to urban and the failed promise of work with fair compensation.  In particular, Pope Leo XIII's encyclical "rerum novarum" which took on the obligation governments had to treat the working class with fairness and the dignity due their labors.

That said, tomorrow (which is already a lot closer in Rome than it is in Washington, DC) the real work begins.  Among the first thing to take note of is where he will choose to reside.  Famously, Pope Francis eschewed the pomp of the Papal Palace in favor of a more modest abode in the Vatican Guest House.  It was a significant gesture in light of the criticisms of the church's excesses.  I've also heard commentators place importance on the new Pope's first foreign visit.  On this score, I have a MONUMENTAL DREAM.

The fact that he is being called the Pope from the United States (when in fact he holds dual citizenship with Peru) has given President Trump an adversary to conquer.  Trump is so ignorant.  He has no idea what he's up against, but he can't stand to play second fiddle to anyone!  He has the gall to announce that he's looking forward to meeting the new Pope.  Like he's gonna go downstairs and say "hey" to the new cook.  

So back to my Dream: I would love it if Pope Leo the XIV would announce that his first foreign visit would be to El Salvador.  That his mission there would be to visit that fucking notorious prison, and offer a mass to the inmates.  Furthermore, he would provide passage for Kilmar Abrego Garcia to return to the United States in his company, and then meet with President Trump and perform his second foreign Mass in Washington, DC.  Now, THAT WOULD BE BRILLIANT!

2025 Papal Conclave: Italy

 I end this exploration with the Italian delegation of Cardinals.  There are 17, although 8 would be as well just associated with Vatican City as they are a large part of the administration hierarchy of the Holy See.  The Cardinals are ranked in "importance", although for the vast majority this is just a chronological listing by consecration.  The exception to this ordering are the top five who hold key rolls in the Vatican Administration.  The top two are both Italians.  #1 is Cardinal Pietro Parolin age 70.  Of all the Italians, Parolin seems to be their best hope as a successor, and he holds the powerful position of Secretary of State of His Holiness--in other words, he runs the place.  Presumably, he also knows exactly where all the bodies are buried.  #2 is Cardinal Fernando Filoni, age 79.  Cardinal Filoni is Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, an order founded by the leader of the first Medieval Crusade, Godfrey of Bouillon, circa 1099.  Cardinal Parolin was appointed by Francis, while Filoni was appointed by Benedict XVI.

Of the Cardinals with ties to specific Cathedrals, none is more well known than Cardinal Domenico Battaglia, age 62, of Napoli.  Cardinal Battaglia is called a "Street Priest" for his association with the poor and addicts, but his greatest claim to fame is his bold and sometimes daring opposition to Organized Crime syndicates known colloquially at the "Mafia".  Another Street Priest is Cardinal Augusto Paolo Lojudice, age 60, Archbishop of Siena-Montalcino & Bishop of Montepulciano-Chiusi-Pienza.  As much as any member of the Cardinals from Italy, Cardinal Lojudice is said to be in lock-step with Pope Francis' vision for the modern Catholic Church.

The youngest member of the Italian Cardinals is Cardinal Baldassare Reina, age 54, the Vicar General of Rome.  Hand picked by Pope Francis, Cardinal Reina has been responsible for the complete reorganization of the leadership and structure of the Diocese--a Vatican DOGE if you will--that has been referred to as "dramatic" in its accomplishments.  It may also have just been a gift to his successor, a clean house to come home to.  Finally Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, 69, the Archbishop of Bologna.  He was also Pope Francis' envoy to peace talks between Ukraine and Russia which bore no fruit, but elevated Cardinal Zuppi in the eyes of the Italian public and solidified his status as a peacemaker.  In a contentious Conclave, could his selection be the one to bring peace?

There was a time when Italian Popes were a given.  For most of the world's lifetime the Popes were from Poland, Germany and Argentina.  Is it time to go back to Italy for a leader?  If so, Pope Francis has created a very different Italian ecclesiastical hierarchy from which to choose.

2025 Papal Enclave: Europe

 By Europe, I mean all the nations by Italy.  When it comes to the Papacy, Italy gets a page all to itself.  Of the rest of Europe, there are 35 Cardinals, the largest block from any of the geographic regions.  Many nations have multiple votes with France leading the way with 5.  Spain, Portugal and Poland each have 4, and the United Kingdom and Germany each have 3.  Peace-loving Switzerland has 2.  While the story in other areas like Africa, Asia, and South America is focused on Progressive replacements, Europe is the opposite.  The conservative factions of the church seem to be pinning their hopes on a European winner.

But let's go counter and look at a centrist candidate that is getting a little buzz.  Cardinal Mario Grech of the little island nation of Malta.  Pope Francis liked Cardinal Grech and appointed him to the Pontifical Council to Promote Christian Unity in 2020.  His centrist bona fide is built on stances like working to defeat a move to legalize divorce on one hand, and on the other proclaiming a non-judgmental open hand to dialogue with members of the LGBTQIA+ community, even those in committed relationships.

Heading up the ranks of the conservatives is Cardinal Péter Erdõ of Hungary.  Cut from a similar clothe as Hungary's nationalist president, Erdõ rings a nostalgia bell for some who long for another Pope John Paul II; unfortunately, the reality is far less rizz and far more return to heartless doctrinal orthodoxy.  On the other hand, another conservative darling is attending the Conclave from the Netherlands.  Once a beacon of the liberal and lasse faire social ethos, the Netherlands has in recent years given birth to it's own form of nationalistic conservatism.  Cardinal Wim Eijk, the Archbishop of Utrecht would easily be seen as part of this paradigm shift.  He once removed a parish secretary who was a member of the Trans community against the outcry of the congregation--micromanage much?  It seems like such a cruel and petty assertion of authority--be wary of this one.  

Of course, some Cardinal will capture my attention and in this crew it's Cardinal José Tolentino de Calaça Mendonça of Portugal.  Cardinal Medonça was actually born on the Island of Madeira, then a Portuguese colony and lived there until age 9.  His father made a living fishing.  He is an academic, theologian, with published works of essays, poetry, and plays.  He has taught at Universities in both Brazil and the United States along with his native Portugal.  The youngest of the European Cardinals is also from Portugal.  Cardinal Américo Manuel Alves Aguiar is Bishop of Setúbal just south of the capital Lisbon.  In 2023 he lead the planning for World Youth Day, and in September of that year was named to the House of Cardinals.

Finally, I give you Cardinal Emil Paul Tscherrig of Switzerland.  He was born in a place so tiny that it no longer exists as an incorporated entity in the southern Alps.  He has been one of the most prolific of Vatican diplomats.  He retired last year while holding the post of Nuncio to Italy and San Marino (think Ambassador), the final of his long list of assignments which began in 1996 under Pope John Paul II when he was named Nuncio to Burundi (a humble beginning).  2001 - Nuncio to Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, and Suriname.  Later that same year, Saint Kitts and Nevis was added.  2004 - Nuncio to Korea, and later that year, Nuncio to Mongolia.  2008 - Nuncio to Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway.  2012 - Nuncio to Argentina.  There is a famous story that after Pope Francis I was elected, he asked Nuncio Tscherrig to inform the Argentine Catholic hierarchy and community at large that they could choose to miss his investiture as Bishop of Rome and use the money it would have cost them to attend to perform acts of charity instead.  Francis appointed him to the House of Cardinals in 2023.