Really? This is the Globe?

It's a tourist trap. Forgive me, that's unfair. It's a thespian trap. If you have no working experience in the professional theatre world, then its a blast; decent show, excellent period costumes and props...really top notch as far as that goes. However, if you're going there for an ultimate portrayal of Shakespeare on the stage...forget about it. It's decent, but no more so than what you'll find at your local theatre.

The two leads were played by two very young actors. Granted, they will become famous in time, but right now they're not quite able to handle the complex emotions behind the words. Romeo bounced around the stage like Phil Lamarr as Jack, the UBS guy. Fine for when he's in love, far less appropriate for getting the news that he's been banished from Verona. Juliet...well, Juliet was just awful. Really. We were glad when she died, and couldn't quite understand why all the fuss out of Romeo.

Top it off with the fact that you're standing in the sun for three very full hours while all of this takes place. The first intermission happens two hours into the production. They do hand out little paper sun visors that you can wear (I had worn a ball cap, so I missed out on the fashinable visor...Todd didn't). People were dropping like flies. Todd and I had gotten a place close to the wall so we could lean up against it during this marathon. However, our preplanning made no difference for several people who just basically pushed us aside because they wanted the wall and the fact that we were there first made little difference to them.

Anyhoo, I wouldn't go to the Globe again, and thankfully, we're not swing past these parts again.