Read Online In the Shadow of Shakespeare by Ellen Wilson - Free Book Online

learn all the lines.  I do not want to do anything
Renaissance.  I want something light.  Something fun.”  Her eyes
moved towards Brad again. 
     “Something
fun?”  Alice drummed her fingers on the table.  How long was this
going to take?  How long were they going to grill her? “And what would
that fun thing be Sonia?”
     “Like
I mentioned before, Guys and Dolls …something like that.”  She
looked brightly at Alice.   The innocent little girl look.
     “I’m
with that,” Brad said.  “Why don’t we have something that is a little more
    now.   We had
your serious play.  And need we remind you all the negative press given by
the business end of it around here?”
     “If
we let business guide our art we are in a sorry state.”  Jim said. 
He was soft spoken.  He looked out the window; watched a robin cling to a
branch and gulp down a worm.
     “If
you don’t worry about politics we’ll lose a big portion of our funding.” 
Don stood by the coffee pot.  He still held the Styrofoam cup in his hand.
     “I
agree.”  Larry said. 
    Larry
and Don reminded Alice of a couple of book ends.  They both were in their
mid forties, both were small business owners: Larry’s was office supply; Don’s
was a hardware store.  Both had red hair. 
    No
one said anything.  They all sat with practiced smiles on their faces and
thought about their next move.  Alice looked out the window.  The
robin had flown away.
     “I
think it is very important to keep the public aware of issues that may be
socially uncomfortable.  That’s one of the purposes of art, to enlighten
and instruct.”  Alice said.
     “What
about entertain?  Isn’t that why people go to the theatre?  The
number one reason is they want to be entertained.”  Sonia nodded, pleased
with herself.
    You’re
always pleased with yourself.  Alice was sorry she had gotten to
know Sonia so well, and found out she didn’t like her.
     “Let
me remind everyone,” Jim said.  “We came up with a list at the beginning
of the season.  And on that list were two plays from the
Renaissance.  We’re at the end of the list, and we need to put these plays
on.  Fair is fair everyone.”
     “We
should be able to get a vote also Jim,” Brad said.  “ Fair is fair. ”
    Jim
held up his hand as a conciliatory gesture.  “Okay, let me propose
this:  We do the Renaissance plays, and in the fall Guys and Dolls .”
    Larry
looked over at Don, who was crumbling the Styrofoam cup over the wastebasket,
and Brad looked over at Sonia, who had a serene smile on her face. 
    Alice
felt like punching the four of them.
     ***
    When
they had all said their niceties; had shaken hands and filtered out of the
room, Alice came and sat by Jim.  They stared out the window in front of
them.  Another robin, or maybe the same one, landed in the tree. 
     “Robin
Goodfellow.”  Jim said.
     “Robin,
the patron of housewives.”  said Alice.  “Maybe of our plays
also.   So what do you think of all of this.”
     “Hmm. 
I didn’t think the quartet would corner us like this.”  He shook his
head. 
    Alice
looked over at him.  His shoulder length hair – steel gray and curly – was
clasped in a pony tail.  She gave the pony tail a tug.  “I like your
hair like this.”
     “Really? 
Moira says I should cut it.  Says I look like a hippie.”
     “So?”
     “So
what?  Looking like a hippie or the quartet?”
     “Don’t
call them that.  It sounds too good for them.”  Alice looked towards
the window again.  The robin was gone.  She wondered why it kept
flying into this particular tree.  “They are four corners of a square -
inharmonious.”  She laughed.
     “Don’t
let it get to you.”
     “How
can I not?  They are trying to take complete control Jim, and you know it.”
     “They
definitely have their ideas.”
     “What
I would like to know is when this whole thing started.  Maybe it was when
Brad decided to get