Shakespeare Is Coming to Town!

April 23, 2016 marked the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, and it is the day that the San Diego Library opened up ticketing to see a rare copy of his First Folio. The book will be on display at San Diego’s Central (downtown) Library from June 4 through July 7, as part of an exhibition co-hosted by the library and the Old Globe Theatre. The exhibition will free of charge, but due to its anticipated popularity, the library recommends patrons obtain tickets in advance. Timed admission will run every 30 minutes. Tickets can be obtained at this link:

Folio ticketing

A limited number of drop-in tickets will also be available at the Central Library each day.

What is the First Folio, and what’s the big deal? During Shakespeare’s lifetime, some but not all of his plays were published in quartos, basically flimsy paperbacks. The quartos were unauthorized and inaccurate versions of the plays. After Shakespeare died, John Heminges and Henry Condell, two of his friends, accomplished what Shakespeare had never done for himself — publish a complete, definitive collection of his plays. In addition to the quartos, they had access to materials that no longer exist, such as the original handwritten manuscripts and actors’ prompt copies.

Without the work of Heminges and Condell, Shakespeare might not be remembered today. Certainly, far fewer of his plays would have been preserved, because 18 plays are known to us only through the First Folio and had not appeared in quarto form, among them Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest. The New York Post ran an excellent article explaining how the First Folio was compiled and what its importance is. The book that will be coming to San Diego is on loan from the Folger Shakespeare Library. It is one of just 235 surviving copies.

The exhibition website tells us this about the upcoming exhibition:

Shakespeare’s First Folio will be available for viewing and opened to the page with “To be or not to be” from “Hamlet.” Accompanying the rare book will be a multi-panel exhibition exploring the significance of Shakespeare, then and now, as well as the importance of the First Folio. A supplemental exhibition will showcase original props, costumes, photographs, and ephemera from The Old Globe’s 80-year archives….


In addition there will be a un-ticketed complimentary display in the Hervey Family Rare Book Room adjacent to the art gallery. “Publishing Shakespeare” will present rare and exquisite editions of work by and about Shakespeare. Drawing from the San Diego Public Library’s rare book collection, the exhibition will include more than 50 beautifully produced books and prints spanning four centuries of publishing and book art.

Skirball — Baseball

Skirball Cultural Center
Sepulveda Pass
April 9, 2016

We took Margaret on her first museum outing for nearly three months, since our January visit to the Southwest Museum. All three of us love baseball, so we were pleased that the Skirball has just opened a pair of baseball themed exhibitions.

Skirball_Greenberg

Chasing Dreams: Baseball and Becoming American pays tribute to the American Jews and other immigrants and minorities who played baseball or contributed to it in other roles. Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax feature prominently, as do Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, Fernando Valenzuela, and many other ethnic minority players. The exhibit includes many pieces of historic memorabilia, such as jerseys, bats, mitts, baseball cards, among other things. We were impressed by the four baseballs autographed by Sandy Koufax to Walter O’Malley after each of his four no-hitters, including his perfect game. Meredith was puzzling over a large photograph of Hank Greenberg with a Yankee player, wondering who the Yankee was, and Margaret recognized immediately that he was Joe DiMaggio. This exhibition will run through October 30.

Skirball_sakoguchi

In a separate gallery we enjoyed seeing vibrantly colored paintings by artist Ben Sakoguchi, The Unauthorized History of Baseball in 100-Odd Paintings. Each painting is done in the style of the old orange crate labels popular from the 1920s through 1950s. Various different baseball players, personalities, and themes are illustrated, some humorous, others poignant. There is an excellent short video featuring the artist, discussing his work and describing his inspiration. A baker’s dozen of images can be seen on the museum’s website: here. This exhibition runs through October 2.

Both of the baseball exhibitions are included with the museum admission, as is the museum’s permanent collection, Visions and Values, Jewish Life from Antiquity to America. Prices are $12 for general admission; $9 for seniors, students, and children over 12; and $7 for children 2–12. Parking is free and generally ample.

We enjoyed our lunch at Zeidler’s Café, possibly our most favorite in-museum restaurant of all the museums we have visited. Margaret and Bob each had sandwiches; Meredith had the spinach and cheese empanada. Margaret was a little befuddled when presented with her options for side dishes, saying simply “too many choices.” We reminded her that she likes the fresh fruit Zeidler’s serves, so she ordered that, and she particularly enjoyed the pineapple. All the food was tasty, service excellent, and the portions were generous. The cost was reasonable considering the quality of the food and service.