Mother's Day And Beyond

When I am Empress of the World, Mother's Day will be renamed Mother & Child's Day. For me the day celebrates the relationship rather than my role in it.

Met Nicole in NYC where we walked in a Code Pink peace rally. The weather was perfect - sunny & warm with a light breeze.

We had lunch with Renee at Blossom Cafe on Columbus. Great place for a nice vegan meal.

After lunch Nicole and I browsed a couple of flea markets. I was looking especially for a necklace but didn't find the right one. Later we rested on a bench by the New York Museum of Natural History. The spot was shaded by great leafy trees.

Made the 5:35 train. Returned home to New Haven very tired and very happy.

On Wednesday I saw a production of Glass Menagerie at Long Wharf Theater. It was wonderful. The role of the mother, Amanda Wingfield, was played by Judith Ivey whom you might remember from her role on Designing Women. Her performance was flawless.

This is the third time I've seen a production of this work. The first was the movie starring Jane Wyman which I saw as a young adolescent and related to Jane Wyman's character Laura. For many, many years the play was, in my mind, about the crippled girl called "Blue Roses".

I saw it a second time at Portland Stage Company. I was in my mid-twenties and Portland Stage was located at the Temple Street Parking garage where the Nickelodeon Theater is now. That production was directed in a way to highlight Tom's story. And, feeling I had settled too much and too soon, I related to the character's frustration and guilt.

This most recent experience of Tennessee Williams' work was been the most balanced. While all four stories where heard, the most riveting was that of the mother, Amanda Wingfield.

And, if the night needed anything more to make it a great experience, my ticket cost just $4.50. Less than half the price of a movie ticket at Bowtie Cinema; less than a cup of soup at Claire's; less than a paperback bestseller.

I expected to be happy in New Haven because living here would make it possible to see Nicole, Renee, and Dad & Pegg much more often. What I didn't anticipate is this easy, affordable access to arts and cultural events.