Yes, Casey. Thank you for your eloquent message. Love, Mary
On Fri, Aug 19, 2022 at 8:43 PM Clayton Stromberger < [email protected]> wrote: > I heartily join you…!!! Beautifully said, Casey. Thank you so much for > this. > > > > Cheers and cheers, > > > > c > > > > > > > > *From: *Casey Caldwell <[email protected]> > *Date: *Friday, August 19, 2022 at 1:35 PM > *To: *Shakespeare at Winedale 1970-2000 alums < > [email protected]> > *Subject: *[Winedale-l] James, Laurel, and the Class of 2022 - Wrestling > with the Angel > > Hi, all, > > > > I'm sorry I've been so absent from our conversations of late. The > pandemic was incredibly challenging for our family and then we've had a > bunch of (great) life events, but now I'm here! > > > > I'm writing because I've just returned from the amazing final weekend at > Winedale completely inspired again by the play and work that the class > shared with us. I was out all day Saturday and Sunday, for *Two Noble > Kinsmen, Winter's Tale, Much Ado, *and then a second helping of * > Kinsmen. *I've been away for a bit and returning for this weekend was > such a joy. The student's engaged creatively and earnestly with the cruxes > presented by *Winter's Tale*, the wit and clownery in *Much Ado*, and the > erotic ambiguities and wild riffing on Chaucer in *Kinsmen*. I was > jealous of their ability to energize a matinee audience soaking in that > Texas heat, and deeply appreciative of the engaging conversations we shared > after their performances. The whole team out at Winedale this summer is > truly composed of heroes' heroes. > > > > As many of you know by now, James is facing his own personal battle at > Agincourt. Yet it's not merely his own. James is facing this battle *with > *Laurel and the few, the happy few of the Winedale class of 2022. This > summer was about Winedale and the experience that the students' were meant > to have, and James's challenge was in one sense the same as always: to push > and guide them in that process of self-discovery in and through Shakespeare > (and Fletcher). > > > > I know that James is fond of challenge roles at Winedale—in my first > summer, I rated my musical ability a 0.5 out of 10 in our pre-summer survey > of skills and he made me Balthasar in *Much Ado *(!)—and this summer he > himself accepted the absolute challenge role. To continue mixing my > metaphors (I blame/thank Shakespeare for the tendency), James elected to > wrestle with the angel this summer and, in true Winedale fashion, he's done > it as part of an ensemble. Beyond the various physical, mental, and > spiritual limits that we push past at Winedale, there is an absolute > limit—the limit of limits that marks off life's circumference from whatever > is beyond—and I cannot think of a more quintessential expression of how > James embodies everything this program means than for him to live at that > limit and direct Winedale with passion and ability alongside the students, > Laurel, and the rest of the team out there. James wrestles with the angel > at Winedale and I can bare witness the immensity and beauty of the contest. > To engage in the contest is to already have won. Even in this, James > continues to teach me. > > > > Please join me in congratulating James on the amazing play that the > Winedale class of 2022 undertook! All my love and admiration, James! > > > > Cheers, > > Casey Caldwell (Spring 2003; Summer, 2003, 2004; Summer 2009, 2010; > > Reunion 2015) > _______________________________________________ > Winedale-l mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > -- Mary Collins 646-554-3076 [email protected]
_______________________________________________ Winedale-l mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
