Walk: No, Inside avoiding heat Distance: 0, a little restorative yoga
So today Ciwt's cats hid under the bed or wherever they could find shade from our heatwave. And Ciwt took the opportunity to pull down her shades and begin her homework on the Contemporary Drama course she and her friend on 'the other' coast will begin on Zoom in a few days.
Assignment #1 was The Importance of Being Earnest by, of course, the one and only Oscar Wilde. It was first premiered in London in 1895 and, in Ciwt's opinion, Wilde's brilliant, incisive, satirical wit is just as alive today as when he wrote the play. With robust energy, flawlessly and hilariously, he takes down the social customs of Victorian society.
After reading the play, she continued to avoid the heat by watching one of Earnest's several movie versions. It was filmed in 1986, starred Joan Plowright, was excellent and very slightly made up for having to miss her annual Broadway time with her friend. BUT Ciwt feels The Importance of Being Earnest really must be read as well as seen because Wilde's brilliance is non-stop and often spoken in King's English which can sometimes be hard for Americans to translate (😉).
To tempt you back to your books, here are just a few Earnest quotes, many of which you will probably recognize.
The truth is rarely pure and never simple
I am sick to death of cleverness. Everybody is clever nowadays
Thirty-five is a very attractive age. London society is full of women of the very highest birth who have, of their own free choice, remained thirty-five for years
To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness
But I don’t like German. It isn’t at all a becoming language. I know perfectly well that I look quite plain after my German lesson.
In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing.
If I am occasionally a little over-dressed, I make up for it by being always immensely over-educated.
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