Random, but fun, Day

I met up with a couple classmates to see The School for Scandal at the Abbey Theatre this afternoon. We read the play last term and decided it was worth attending. And it was an enjoyable production. As with most comedies of manners, the productions highlights were the set, costumes, and lighting. Some of the performances were wonderfully over-the-top in their embodiment (i.e. Benjamin Backbite, Sir Oliver Surface, Careless, Mrs. Candor) while others were underwhelming (i.e. Lady Sneerwell). Overall, however, it was a good time. And the fellow playing Joseph Surface, while bearing a striking affinity in tone, timbre, and physicality to Christopher Guest, managed to maneuver through the character transitions necessary to pull of a performance that essentially carries the show.

Afterwards, we went to The Celt for a pint. I hadn't been back to The Celt since I went out with Stephen and friends two or three months ago. Still a nice little pub. And then I met up with Mary and a friend of hers (Michael) who was in town. We ended up spending the evening with a friend of Mary's friend (Tony) and it was lovely. Tony and Michael are working on research for a film at the moment, although they finished work today and will leave town tomorrow. A short visit, but Tony and I had some good laughs over a couple pints and some coffee. I am excited to see the project when they complete it, which won't be for a couple years because they are still in development.

It was a nice evening. And I haven't been drunk in a while so that was a nice change. We laughed lots and told silly stories and really just enjoyed being present as, essentially, strangers sharing an evening in Dublin. It was particularly fun to end up at Cafe en Seine and have established enough of a rapport to make jokes with each other in the midst of Saturday night festivities.