New York

December 11, 2011


Full moon over Times Square. It was dim and Friday last night, bright and full last night, almost holding his own amid the lights of the city.

Shopping this afternoon. I never shop, so that was worth noting. Found difficult gifts.

Nostalgia drove me to 36th Street, to the Barrow Group Theater, where Edward the King ruled the boards for a while. Met two actors in the lobby, who convinced me to see their play, Any Which Way Thou Wouldst Have It. Sarah was good. John was not, though very handsome. The play was a pastiche of Restoration Comedy, and though the author understood the genre, he added nothing to it, did not bring it into the present, and the afternoon wore on. The costumes were glorious. The woman playing the pirate captain had fans in the crowd, who laughed uproariously at the least thing she did, which caused her to ham it up in a way she’s probably ashamed of now. I wanted it to be good because, however briefly, I felt I knew people in the cast. In the evening I went to Theater Row and saw Balls: the Musical., which was unexpectedly funny. Sent me smiling through the moon-haunted streets. Had time before the show, which I spent in Dave’s, an Irish/Mexican bar on 9th Avenue. Rough. Two people were thrown out while I sat at the bar, one invited back with copious free beer and apologies. The waitresses Tanya and Diane were treated like daughters by the hairy workingmen on the stools.