Doughnuts and Drama and Adventure
By Megan Snyder
Don’t get me wrong, I love the Winona Lake area. Who wouldn’t? But sometimes, a person just needs a little adventure, a little fresh air, a little culture. In October, a group of students and two professors packed a bus and drove to Stratford, Ontario, Canada for a 40-hour, whirlwind trip filled with drama, good food and a ridiculous amount of driving.
To begin with, there are four theatres in Stratford, a beautiful town set right beside the Avon River. If those two names don’t ring a bell, you should probably know that the theatres host an incredible Shakespeare drama festival, featuring not only Shakespeare’s works, but dramas and musicals for every age and taste.
Scheduled first for the overnight trip was a departure time at 5 a.m. While this may be a deterrent for the lazy college kid in all of us, the promise of maple dip doughnuts from Tim Horton’s and the chance to get off campus was too alluring for the twelve participants. A maple dip doughnut is one of the greatest culinary inventions ever. (If you have never had a maple dip doughnut from Tim Horton’s, you are surely missing out and better sign up for the trip next fall.)
After being stopped at the Canadian border (a technicality; vans are a problem sometimes), lunch at that beacon for all things Canadian (Tim Horton’s), we arrived at the Avon Theatre to see the first of two plays, “Othello.” For those who have never read it or seen it performed, it is the tragic story of Othello, a military man, and Desdemona, the woman he loves, and Iago, the rejected friend-turned-villain. Deception and truth are major themes in the tragedy.
The set was minimalist: a large platform and two walls painted a garish red. The platform pivoted, allowing the angle of the floor to change with the setting. It was acted beautifully, Othello at first the love-struck general, Desdemona the shining bride, Iago the two-faced villain.
After this drama, the only cure for depression was sustenance. Food and good conversations raised everyone’s spirits before we drove to the Festival Theatre, situated right on the river, swans floating on the water, for the evening performance of “Romeo and Juliet.” This theatre is known for their elaborate stage settings and excellent actors. I was most definitely not disappointed by the performance.
People who believe themselves to be cultured will throw insults at Romeo and Juliet and I personally believe they are in the wrong. There are far deeper themes in the play than just some stupid teenagers who try to be rebellious. Both Romeo and Juliet, while portrayed by actors older than the lovesick teenagers, showed more depth even than Leonardo DiCaprio in that one movie of the same name from the ‘90s.
The trip ended too soon, and the next day we were driving eight hours back to Grace College. Now, doesn’t that sound wonderful? For those of you students who will be on campus next fall, be on the lookout for signs listing the plays and the dates for an adventurous trip.
