Midsummer Magazine 2007 - Utah Shakespearean Festival

the Curate when wisdom and folly changeplaces. The well-known motif of the “wisefool” implies that behaving foolishly, particularlywithin a region consecrated topiracy and gypsy lore, is a wise course ofaction, since it helps each of the principalcharacters find themselves through theliberating effects of love, wine, music, mistakenidentity, and the play’s many othertempting aphrodisiacs. Only Malvolio,in this cast of libertines, fails to prosperthrough the Illyrian aspect of the play,since he is a puritanical scapegoat who carriesaway the sins of the other charactersthrough dramatic catharsis. Bloated withself-pride, he takes himself much too seriouslyin a world where the spirit of licentiousnessrewards love over law, revelry oversententiousness, and license over the dullmonotony of moralistic values.Inspired by the miracle of theatre,Shakespeare’s audience also finds its trueself through the exotic experience of theplay. As C. L. Barber argues in Shakespeare’sFestive Comedies, viewers of a play likeTwelfth Night move from “release” to“clarification,” as do its central characters,through the dramatic progress of the play.Just as Viola, for example, discards theconventions of femininity to find true lovewith the duke, so too are the play’s audiencemembers released from their everydayconcerns by ensconcing themselves in atheatrical reverie that lets them see theirlives more clearly after “the two hours’ trafficof our stage.” As we immerse ourselvesin this alien world and allow Shakespeare’spoetic brilliance to wash over us, we arecleansed and refreshed by the magicalpower of the stage. Like Arion, rescuedon the dolphin’s back because of the sweetmusic he played on his lyre (1.2.15), we arebuoyed upward by the fortunes of the play’ssuccessful characters as we ascend throughthe spiritual and aesthetic artistry of thisjoyful dramatic event. In theatre, as in lifeitself, strange, new worlds like Shakespeare’sIllyria rejuvenate and replenish us, scouringaway that which is old and tired andunproductive in order to restore our moreperfect selves.Inspired by the miracle oftheatre, Shakespeare’saudience also finds its trueself through the exoticexperience of the play. Food thatBringsthe CowboysRunningNo matter what type ofconstruction project you areconsidering, one phone callto the Iron County Home BuildersAssociation can help you find the best peoplefor the job. We can supply you with information on builders,architects, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, painters, excavators, landscapers, interiordesigners, and . . . well, you get the idea. So before you begin your construction project,give us a call and we’ll help make sure you step off on the right foot.The Iron County Home Builders Association • 435-865-1113For information about ICHBA, the “Parade of Homes” (every Labor Day weekend and followingweekend) the “Spring Building Products Fair,” and other events, visit us at www.ichba.org.Midsummer Magazine 2007 • 13