Tilting at Windmills

I went to see Don Quixote de la Mancha yesterday at Centaur Theatre in Vieux Montreal yesterday. It was so ....lovely! We gave them a standing ovation. The set design and props were just-how-I-like-them-gorgeous, wooden windmills, wooden bicycle horses and donkeys. The half mask use was fascinating. At first I found them too crude and then once I was used to them they were perfect, the actors used them so well, it was totally inspiring. It was a play that was imaginative and lively and beautiful and silly. There was only one child in the audience though and the language was definitely directed towards adults. It was funny but once I started walking down to my seat which was right in front of the stage AA 33 (at one point the Don Quixote character's was standing squished in the aisle right in front of me, he apologised for having his bum in my face)..anyways I was looking around to see if there were any other black people attending besides me, to get a sense of the play's demographic. I couldn't see anyone else who was brown. At the intermission, the other play, A Raisin in the Sun, was also breaking and everyone was black. I almost felt like a traitor as we streamed in pairs back up the stairs heading back to our seats. At the top of the stairs the colours separated. Black people turned right, white people went left. I thought for sure someone would correct me and point me to the other play entrance. Thankfully, that didn't happen.

I love details like this. The 1600's book led to at least 2 terms being introduced into the English language:

1. Quixotic:romantic, idealistic and impractical
2. Tilting at Windmills: Fighting imaginary heroes

I was too enchanted to draw much, but here is a sketch of the dog costume. He even peed onstage!