Ag breathnú "Julius Caesar"

Chonaic muid an dráma seo cáitiúil arú aréir. Ghluas muid chun na "hAmharclainne Luibheolaíoch." Is áit go halainn ina ghleann Topanga in aice leis an tÁigeán Ciúin ag timpeall na cathrachaí as an bhfarraige Naomh Moncha agus Malibu.

Shroich muid go luath ansiúd. Iarr muid a súi ag déanamh cóisir faoin aer an uair roimhe sin i dtósach na dhráma. D'ól muid leann silín dubh. D'ithe muid sicín, rís, agus trataí go húr.

Ní fhaca muidsa féin an ionad siamsa sin riamh ansin. Bhí fhíos mo bhean a tí agus mé le fada roimhe sin, mar sin féin. Thóg Will Geer ó "The Waltons" agus a theaglach air ar feadh na caoga nuair go raibh sé ar an liosta dubh go Coille Chuillean.

Thug an clann airsean féin dídean shábháilte a páirt a thógail i ndráma nó a seinm amhrán béaloidis. Anois, feictear Shakespeare, Moliere, agus Chekhov i tsamraidh faoi láthair. Is é mír bídeach faoin tuatha ag imeall na gCathair na hÁingeal.

Súitear ina haimfitéatar amuigh faoin spéir. Rinne an léiriú go drámata, ar ndóigh. Mheas mé go raibh ag fanacht go "An Liathróid" ina Londain ceithre chéad blianta go ham seo.

B'fhéidir, rinneadh taibhreamh dom ag baint orm de An Ghréig anallód nó An Róimh riamh anall. D'éirigh achrann ag déanamh clonscairt ar achan taobh againn leis dráma cúlaithirte clasaiceach. Is maith linn an radharc os ard agus dathannach mórthimpeall faoi réaltaí.

Bhuail claimhteoirí máguaird. Ghlao an slua Rómhanach ag clamhán in aghaidh an dúnmharú na Caesar. Ar scor ar bith, nuair bhí ar a ghlúine Marcas Antoine os cionn i gcorp fuilsmeartha na Caesar amháin féin, thósaigh ómós corraitheach.

Thit tost ann. Ní raibh focal as aon duine. Faoi mharbhchiúnas na hóiche sin, d'fhán na criogair amháin i do thost.

Watching "Julius Caesar."

We saw a famous drama the night before last. We drove to the "Theatricum Botanicum." It's a lovely place in Topanga Canyon near the Pacific Ocean around the beach towns of Santa Monica and Malibu.

We arrived early over there. We wished to sit making a picnic {=a feast under the air] an hour before the start of the play. We drank black cherry cider. We ate chicken, rice, and fresh tomatoes.

We had not ever seen that recreational site there. My wife and I knew about it for a long time before, all the same. Will Geer from "The Waltons" and his family started it during the Fifties when he was on the blacklist in Hollywood.

The family of his gave a safe retreat to put on plays and to play folk music. Now, one may see Shakespeare, Moliere, and Chekhov in the current summer. It's a tiny bit of countryside bordering Los Angeles.

One may sit in an amphitheater outside under the sky. It makes a dramatic performance, naturally. I though I was staying at "The Globe" in London four hundred years ago.

Perhaps, I dreamt of taking myself away to Greece of yore or Rome of time immemorial. The clash rose up making a clanging on every side of us with a costumed classical drama. We liked the very loud and colorful scene all about us under the stars.

Swordsmen struck all around. The Roman mob cried clamoring against the murder of Caesar. However, when Mark Antony was on his knees above the bloodsmeared corpse of Caesar, a moving homage began.

Silence fell there. There was not a word from any one. Under the dead silence of that night, only the crickets did not stay silent.