There are times when the nerd stars align and you get to have the best weekend ever, full of awesome nerdy events. This past weekend was one of those wonderful and rare times. I will warn you now that this post is very picture heavy, but very well worth it!
It all started on Thursday, when my Mom, my friend Noelle, and her mom took in the NT Live production of Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch. It had been since high school that I read Hamlet and remembered little so I was excited to see this, couple that with the fact that Benedict was in it and I was so excited! I'd never been to one of these events so I didn't know what to expect but I cannot wait for more.
There are few things for me that can replace live theatre since I really have grown up on it, having been going to see performances since I was little. I was in it throughout all of high school and parts of college and it remains such a passion of mine. I wasn't sure how this was going to translate but wow was I impressed. This was such an intense performance that by the time we got to intermission, I felt like I hadn't taken a breath for two hours and I was actually sore because I had been so tense throughout the entire thing. Everyone was brilliant in their roles and the staging of it was really neat. I loved how modern they made it and I feel like that kind of helped with understanding it. It was such a mental exercise to sit there and watch this because you really had to pay attention. I let my mind wander a few times and it took a bit to get myself back into the language.
Benedict was, of course, totally incredible. I can't even imagine what it takes to get into the headspace to play Hamlet. He was constantly crying and totally mental and just gave such meaning to every word that came out of his mouth. They were showing short interviews leading up to the actual production and the person interviewing Benedict asked him what he felt like once he was done with the performance and he just said, "Hungry". I can completely understand that because not only did it seem emotionally draining, but it was also an incredibly physical performance.
The actress who played Ophelia, Sian Brooke, was equally wonderful. Her descent into madness was really striking and the way they portrayed her last moments on stage were so beautiful and heartbreaking.
I'm really hoping that they put this out on DVD because more people need to see this production. Yes, it's a challenging watch and it takes a lot of concentration, but it is something that just needs to be experienced by everyone. If you have the opportunity to see this, be it live or on screen, please do. You will not regret it!
With Saturday came the Harry Potter Festival in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania. I had been to it only once before last year and I totally fell in love with the whole festival and the town. The only thing that bummed me out was that I didn't get to see any of the Quidditch tournament. This year, I was determined! So me, Noelle, and her sister/my friend Samantha all headed up there to take in some wizarding goodness!
The town is pretty much a quintessential small town America town with beautiful old homes and a main street with small shops and restaurants that all buy in to the Harry Potter weekend. Most of the stores have a Harry Potter-themed store name and have corresponding window displays and merchandise. There are side streets closed down for vendors and fortune tellers on many a corner.
Delores Umbridge had left her mark on the town with Educational Decrees all over the place.
There were awesome people in awesome cosplays and we all decided that next year, we're all being Death Eaters because we need to get in on this action. Yaxley, here I come!
The line for this place was out the door because their sweets are amaazing. Noelle and I got Butterbeer Cupcakes and Samantha got a Cauldron Cake.
There was this awesome little playground and a courtyard where they had all sorts of activities to partake in and we had to turn our dollars into Galleons. We all got Dark Marks, even Hufflepuff Noelle (Samantha and I are Slytherin so it's totally natural for us). We felt like badasses but it was too cold to have our sleeves rolled up to show them off.
You had to watch out for Demontors. You never know where they might pop up!
This dog was just adorable.
Hashtag wizard fail. Gandolf doesn't live in this world.
After we were done up in town, we got our hot Butterbeer to warm our souls and then headed down to Chestnut Hill College where the Quidditch Tournament of Brotherly Love was taking place. The College looked so beautiful against the fall foliage.
We were so bummed that it was so cold because we all really enjoyed watching Muggle Quidditch. It is pretty much the most entertaining thing I've ever seen. It seemed like a cross between handball and dodgeball with an element of wrestling when the Snitch comes onto the field. We got down there well into the tournament, so if they had gone over the rules at any point we definitely missed that. We had no idea what was really going on but had such a blast watching it. If you have a chance to watch it (or even better, play it!), I would suggest you do so. We want to get a team together at work.
Sunday I woke up sore and tired from walking all over the place, but no rest for me as my Mom and I were off to our first Renaissance Faire in Pennsylvania. We've lived in New Jersey since 2000 and I've wanted to go this for some time now but we finally got around to it and it was really amazing. We had so much fun! I wanted to dress up but didn't get around to getting an outfit together, plus it was unseasonably cold out so I just settled for a fancy winter jacket and a tiara. Can't go wrong with a tiara!
We first stopped off at the opening ceremonies where they explained the plot of the Faire to us and we got to meet the King and Queen, as well as learn how to curtsey and bow properly.
Then we got to walk around and see all of the shops and vendors and find some delicious food. We came across this cool place with a bunch of birds and this owl was just too beautiful to not take a million pictures of. Those eyes! And he was huge!
It was Halloween weekend so lots of people were dressed up, but I loved these guys!
We went into this neat shop called the Imaginarium that sold these beautiful handmade dragons that had a cable to snake down your clothes so you could control their heads. One of the ladies that worked there gave us a history about the person who makes them and how he went to medical school and ended up making this his business. His son now works on them but he does a few here and there. I wish I had taken some pictures of them because they were truly beautiful. You can look at their website here if you are interested. I really wanted to buy one but with a $99 price tag, it seemed a little steep for me since it would probably just end up sitting on a shelf.
There was also a museum that showed off a lot of the other works he has done and I had to take pictures of some of my favorites!
My Mom and I went into a shop and looked around for a few minutes, and by the time we came out it was raining. We got ourselves bundled up with our hoods and scarves, and as we were walking it started to snow. In October. In Pennsylvania. That's pretty rare.
Next thing I know, I turn around a see a Unicorn. That's even more rare.
One of the things I was most excited to see was the Joust! Unfortunately, I didn't know there was a good side and a bad side and my Mom and I got there super early to get good front row seats, only to find out that we were on the good side. By the time we found this out it was too late to get a good seat on the bad side so I had to go against my Slytherin nature and cheer for chivalry and righteousness. How boring. But I did get to sponsor a Knight and that was pretty cool!
This is the Knight that I sponsored and the only one to win on the good side. Huzzah!
And that was my fun and nerdy weekend! I can't wait to have many more to come. I have such a taste for Ren Faires now that it's all I want to do! Once you have people bowing to you and calling you "your highness" you don't come down from that.
Have any of you been to either of these events or anything similar? Let me know in the comments below, or tell me about your awesome nerdy weekends!
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