Tolkien

Saturday, March 22, 2025

We went to Open Window Theater tonight to see the play Tolkien. I was struck with the similarities between it and last night’s play. Both were edifying about their subjects, both were long, and both would have been really boring as movies. 🙂

These biographical plays were more about the lives of people who achieved something of note but were not filled with adventure or exciting accomplishment. Henrietta Leavitt had a breakthrough about stars and the stars in the theater twinkled, but it was not the end of the show, just a moment within. When Tolkien quietly published The Hobbit, he toasted with his friend, C.S. Lewis, and went on with his life.

I enjoyed listening to the language from the beginning of the twentieth century in both plays. It was interesting to hear discussions of decisions made with great gravity and great length. There seemed to be much to consider, from many angles. People interacted with civility, even when disagreeing. That was a lovely change from our current society, if I can call it that.

A movie version of either would bring so much more than words to the show, much to its deficit, I believe. The simple sets would be replaced with factual recreations and our imagination would be ended.

Last night at the Phipps we looked around the art galleries during intermission. One gallery had an artist’s prints on canvas, made with wildflowers and native plants. About half of them were beautifully framed under glass and the rest were displayed as just the fabric mounted on the wall. I found the fabric prints beautiful and interesting. They didn’t really have physical texture, but they felt …dimensional to me. I could so easily imagine the actual plant being inked and pressed carefully to the canvas. The pictures under glass – virtually the same pictures as the others – didn’t interest me for a second. I feel like it was coincidentally the same as the plays. It was truly the live performance that gave these stories life.

Cool.