So I slept in on Saturday, ate breakfast in the room, did some computer stuff, and watched parts of some movies on TV (including Golden Compass and that one where the guy has to write everything down because he can't remember things due to brain damage. I don't remember the name but I watched it at Gusy's one time.) Anywho it was a pretty lazy day. I lfet the room to buy groceries, and wander the Bercy village(the little shopping restaurant area near the hotel). I found a smell shop and looked at some cafes, but more importantlyI found a comic book store!!! How did I miss this!?!? I'm considering buying a Graphic Novel but I'd like to find one in English. Anyway I ate dinner on our little balcony and then got ready to go. I was supposed to meet my friend Robert to see the show with me, but I couldn't find him, qnd I wasn't gonna miss my oportunity to see the show, so I just left.
I got the the COmedie Francais and stood in line forever! It seemed especially long along, but that ended up working to my advantage!!! A girl came up to me and asked if I was alone. WHen I responded yes she offered to sell her ticket to me. She only had the one for herself but she couldn't see the show that night. Lucky me!!! It was still a cheep ticket and it was probably a better seat than I would get for the last minute tickets. Besides this way I was garanteed a seat. So I paid her for the ticket and still had time to kill before the show. So I went into the Comedie Francais store... bad idea (or awsome idea depending on your point of view)! It was awsome, I loved it!!! I was like a kid in a candy store, I wanted everything. Of course I didn't buy everything, but I still bought a few things. I left that store so happy I couldn't stop smiling, It was my little French corner of heaven!
Then I went to my seat to watch the show. The show was Cyrano de Bergerac. A famous French play with an actor who is apparently quite famous here in Paris. I thought it was a perfect show to see at the COmedie Francais, not only a classic but one of the most famous French plays. The production was BEAUTIFUL!!! It was a mix of modern and classic scene design with moving sets and video projection. I was so amwzed by the creativity of it. THis would come in form all sides of the stage and move fluidly into the scene, then off with ease. Pannels in the floor opened and closed to change the space and create extrances and exits. It was so cool!!! The costumes were also beautiful, very classic, but no too flashy. Simple but period appropriate, which was an interesting contrast to the modern set. The actors were amazing, I couldn't understand most of what they were saying, but they still performed wonderfully and told the story well. I am so glad that I knew the show before I went or it would have been hard to follow. The amazing acting helped, but it was alot for my brain to try to understand that much French. I caught things here and there but I was mentally exaughsting trying to watch the show and try to translate, while still trying to remeber the English version to figure out where they were in the story. Still overall it was an amazing experience and definately one of the highlights of my trip so far!!!
Oh by the way I forgot to mention this (and it is knid of funny), I didn't consider this before I went to see the play, but the French take longer to say things. It isn't the people it is just that the French languages uses more words to say the same thing in English. I became especially aware of this when I went into the lobby for intermission. I bought an Orangina and was chilling by a window when I thought, I should check my phone. So I turned it on to discover that the first half had been 2 HOURS LONG!!! I was shocked. The second half took another hour and a half, so by the time I got out of there I just went to bed. It didn't seem that long in the theatre because the show was so good, but it was a long show.
One other cool thing then I am done. They all bow together. The Comedie Francais is a big ensamble that rotates actors in the leading roles. Thus when a show nds, they all bow together, no solo bow even for the actor that played Cyrano. I found that interesting and kind of cool.
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