Reprising the Debut's Review

continued

Entering the Arb Peony Garden from Observatory, we were met by bed after bed of peonies in full bloom and by recorder players and a guitarist, dressed in Elizabethan costume, who played an overture of sixteenth century tunes, while parents with children, students, and townspeople of all ages wandered in through the garden and found places to sit, listen, chat, and admire the peonies. Some brought cushions or low lawn chairs. Most of us sat on the grass.

The play began as the Duke of Athens and his bride-to-be strolled in on the grass between us and the gardens, both peacefully anticipating their wedding four days hence. They were followed by the two other sets of lovers whose lives will be much stormier before the play is over and by the clowns planning a rehearsal of their play in honor of the duke's wedding. Here the scene changed, and the musicians led the way as the audience followed the characters into the woods. I met friends I hadn't expected to see, and we were feeling invigorated, mildly adventurous, scrambling through the woods, on our way to see the quarrels between the king and queen of the fairies and one of the sets of lovers.