Camelot
Shakespeare Theatre Company
May 24, 2018
A lark.
I thought this show would be
Fluff
Within, as they say, the
Lusty Month of May
But what I found was unexpected
And perhaps a bit subjective
But a story filled with heart
Honor and ways to live
“…Once there was a fleeting
Wisp of Glory”
Of an experiment
Where humanity
And compassion ruled the day
In Camelot
I saw a reflection
Of people
In this Country
And this play
And grieved about
How we came
To be this way
Camelot
A hoped for Utopia
Not a lark
But an inverse reflection
Of present day.
~~~~
Some Words:
In a lot of ways this piece above says everything I want it to say. I walked into Camelot expecting something silly. I had never seen the filmed version or listened to the music so I merely thought it would be the traditional King Arthur-Guinevere-Lancelot love triangle. Instead it was a show about three people who loved each other. Three people whose actions were built on honor and compassion not hatred, jealousy, or vengeance.
In the final moments of this production Arthur looks out into the audience and talks of his round table, and how this earth (which will be discovered to be round much later) should be, in a sense, a reflection of the ideals he created. It was a reminder that we live in a time when humanity, equality, and accessibility are still uneven. So what I thought would be a lark, ended up to be a humorous, yet intelligent, musical about who we can all strive to be.
...this is what comes next 