Of Camera Vans and Comedy

K , Ian, G-Ma, and I just returned from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland yesterday. Saturday night K and G-ma watched "Macbeth" while I watched Ian (a kind of Scottish play all unto himself). Then Sunday K and I watched Giovanni Goldoni's commedia dell'arte-inspired "A Servant of Two Masters" while G-ma watched Ian (a kind of commedia all unto himself). A fine time was had by all. We stayed at the venerable Ashland Springs Hotel and between performances ate over-priced food and browsed through over-priced boutiques and bookstores.

I must say, I found "Servant" to be an absolute joy of a production. I haven't laughed so hard in the theatre in years and I highly recommend it. Here's a link to a review by Bill Varble of the MailTribune:http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090330/NEWS/903300310

The Ashland Independent Film Festival was going too, but we didn't attend any of the screenings or lectures (though I was sorely tempted to see Elvis Mitchell speak). However, the cinema next door to the hotel was playing several of the films (all?) and parked out front was a van covered with cameras--the Camera Van--a vehicle featured in the film "Automorphosis," a documentary about crazily decorated cars or some such thing. The filmmaker, Harrod Blank, was staying in our hotel, and I frequently saw him in the lobby. Here's a link to his website. Check out the van. I'll download pictures of it one of these days as soon as I figure out how to download from my camera phone: http://www.automorphosis.com/

Ciao,
CD