Seasons for Love and Prudishness

There's brainy and then there's bawdy and, fond as I am of the former, tonight I went with the latter.

Richmond Shakespeare was doing their Bawdy Bard staged reading series at Capital Ale House and where better to get bawdy than a beer house?

We got there early enough to pay our respects to the local grape and have a little dinner beforehand.

Our affable server didn't even smirk at having to bring us Autumn Hill Cabernet Franc in a place where hops reign supreme.

We went right for the "seasonal" portion of the menu, ordering crisp ale glazed pork osso buco-ettes served over an apple/walnut salad.

That glaze? Sweet on the pig.

And, yes, I ended up sucking bones.

The salad had the distinction of being not crisp but so imbued with the dressing that the apples and nuts had an almost soft consistency.

I thought it was heavenly, unique in its flavor and texture.

Next up I had white chicken chili, seasoned with enough heat for a spicy finish but not so much it delivered anything  painful.

Bellies mostly full, we moved to the music room for the reading of "Moliere."

No, the Bawdy Bard wasn't doing Shakespeare this time, but Moliere is almost as good and this one was set during election season.

"The Misanthrope," a 17th century comedy of manners would provide the verse I love hearing along with the human commentary for which he was known.

It was all good for me (and the $5 price tag didn't hurt, either).

The producer noted that Cap Ale was less stuffy than Center Stage, where the readings used to be held.

I'm all for less stuffy, although there were times when the servers were talking to customers and drowning out the actors.

As is not unusual for Richmond Shakes, this staged reading benefited from blocking and even full-on action.

There were many times when the terrific Adam Mincks as Alceste was chewing scenery, zipping up his fly, whatever, from the middle of the music hall.

I thank you, Madam, for that soothing dart.

Stacie Reardon Hall played Celimene in a tight red dress that required exaggerated pulling up every time she tried to mount the steps in front of the stage.

He has a bent toward total contradiction.

Intermission came all too soon and while using the facilities, I overheard a commentary on the inane.

"Yea, Christmas songs and Lady Gaga, those are the ones that get stuck in your head forever," one woman observed.

"Yea, but once you forget 'em, they're just gone," her friend commented.

Sometimes a bathroom break delivers more than mere relief.

I'll confront her in no uncertain terms with her villainy, confound her utterly and then bring to you a heart entirely freed from her perfidious charms.

Jacqueline O'Connor played Arsinoe to great hilarity, complete with southern accent and snapping fingers when she wanted an assist to dismount the steps.

The play was full of laugh-out-loud moments (and I did) and it seemed to be over way too soon.

Even so, we'd learned our lessons from Moliere.

I expect you to be sincere and as an honorable man, never to utter a single word that you don't really mean.

Let me assure you, I mean every single word of mine.