Playboy of the Western World

Last night we had our group trip to see Playboy of the Western World at the Abbey Theater in downtown Dublin, so our classes were canceled. The Abbey is particularly famous, but exactly why I do not know. I know many famous actors and playwrights pass through its doors, but in all honesty it's quite an ugly building. In my opinion, the Abbey lacks the charm of the ornate Gate Theater.

The show was a modern version of the original Playboy by Synge. Despite it being a classic, I admit that this updated version was exponentially more enjoyable. A few of us watched an original version on video a couple of days before the live performance, and it was very tedious. This twist added a few different elements, with modern race, immigration policy, drug, and violence issues pertinent to today's Ireland. The costumes perfectly captured the street wear I've been seeing, track suits for the gangsters and all. Only in Ireland would gangsters love the track suit so much.

I'm still not sure why we went to see this play and why we missed class to do so, but it wasn't a bad outing overall, and I won't complain about missing class.

Tomorrow is the start of Ceili dancing lessons, which will give me a good hobby to pass the time. I'm settling in to a routine and find myself with more time on my hands. Tonight I made enchiladas for eight people, and I'm proud to say they came out fantastic!

Friday we leave for Northern Ireland. Although the conflicts are pretty controlled at this time, I'm still a little nervous, but more than anything I'm excited. More on that trip to come.