Theater festival

The St. Andre theatre festival is one of the major highlights of my holidays. A stage and seats transforms a field located on a river where the water has long since evaporated in the summer heat. The field is surrounded by giant trees. Little theater groups from all over the region vie for prizes.

Last night’s performance was a disappointment, not because it wasn’t well acted. The two actresses strutted their stuff beyond reproach. And it was well blocked. Nor was it that I couldn’t understand the French. I couldn’t bloody hear half the play.

A wind was blowing overhead rustling the skyscraper-high trees above me glistgening in the moonlight but drowning out the words. Then the wind would die down and I would catch what was being said, but since the play relied so heavily on dialogue, I no longer could follow the action although I could hear when one roommate revealed to the other that her lover was married and had three children causing a breakdown.

Still the atmosphere with people eating at the café set up next to the theatre, old friends greeting each other, the cool air after the hot day, and people plying their love of the craft made the evening more than a success.

I will forego the Wednesday night performance because how can I be in France without going to my favorite café to watch the French play in the semi-finale of the World Cup? In a way I feel sorry for the troup that will perform and I suspect they would rather be watching the game themselves.