Graham Abbey has been a member of the Stratford Festival acting company for 18 years. He also directs. He is the founder and a.d. of the Groundling Theatre Company in Toronto and directed its opening production of The Winter's Tale this past season. He is also a writer, and has developed two television series with CBC. In his present incumbency in Stratford, he is not billed as a writer but rather as "conceiver, adaptor" (and associate director). He has adapted Shakespeare's four history plays into a new, cohesive two-play presentation titled "Breath of Kings", just opened at the Festival for the coming summer (and after, I'm sure) season, and much heralded. However, the wise planners have set the plays in the Tom Patterson Theatre, knowing that not everyone will want to go to a history play in the big Festival Theatre, no matter how much respected.

In his introductory essay in the program(s) - one for each separate play, the one called Rebellion, the other Redemption - Mr. Abbey describes the provenance of his idea, beginning 15 years ago when the events of 9/11 shook us all. It seemed that one turned to God or Shakespeare, not necessarily in that order. He has been working on it ever since, both written and orally: he plays King Henry IV in Part I Rebellion) and Part II (Redemption). So who am I, having seen this new concept only once, to attempt to assess what I have seen? I love the history plays; I've read them all, several times, and seen them several times each, as well. But I haven't lived with them for 15 years or absorbed them into my brain and tongue. I was looking forward to seeing the new staging, adaptation, version, whatever. The last one I saw (In England) was

The Wars of the Roses, a 1963 theatrical adaptation of William Shakespeare's first historical tetralogy, which deals with the conflict between the House of Lancaster and the House of York over the throne of England, a conflict known as the Wars of the Roses. The plays were adapted by John Barton, and directed by Barton himself and Peter Hall at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. (Wikipedia)

And then there was a TV series, The Hollow Crown, featuring the histories (2012) and stars from British stage and screen. It's all been respectable, given reverential treatment, deservedly.

So?

I have to say, I was disappointed with this latest mash-up of the history plays. What was the point of squeezing them into two productions? Where was the arc? Did I learn anything new?

In all fairness - I'll try again. Maybe if I read Mr. Abbey's scripts?

I read a piece in the NYT this past weekend about the attrition of creative thinking, diminished as it is by multi-tasking and the distractions (and attractions) of the various media all demanding attention.

Years ago I wrote a daily personal message commissioned by the United Church of Canada for distribution on independent radio stations in Canada (and stolen, i am told, in Australia). It was not overtly religious, in fact, not really, though I called it a spot from your Big Sponsor in the Sky. It was a 90-second thought for the day that I wrote and recorded myself. I used to take in three dozen or so thoughts and record them in the studio (in the afternoon, preferably; my producer said I gurgled before noon, after my morning swim). I called them “happy homilies” and when some of them were published (three chapbook size paperbacks), I called them Bathroom Readers. Today I would call them blogs. I developed a 90-second mind then, as I learned to develop a thought in fewer than 900 words. Early training for Tweeter’s 140 characters. I still think it’s unfair to count spaces and commas — hence the dearth of decent punctuation.

And that’s what has contributed to the shrinking of thoughts for the day. The NYT article concluded that we suffer from a lack of ‘sequestered meditation.” Yes!! Even people who are not loners by nature need some thinking time.

For those who like to swim, I can recommend what I have called for years “wet meditation”. (Sequestered is dry, swimming is wet.) Cloud-watching is good. Does that account for the popularity of window seats on planes? Ocean-watching is also good, plus the noise of the water, rushing by. I know, I know, the ship is rushing and the water is shooshing - especially at night with the door open to the balcony. I have learned to equate the noise of nearby traffic with the sound of the ocean. Did you know that noise comes from the Latin word for nausea? I don’t get seasick. I just pay attention to what is important.

And that’s what we have to do in the midst of the cacophony of daily life with its demands for our attention. Take the time to listen to your inner dialogue.

Shhh!