July 20, 2020

White Dog and Joey, with a little help from their human dads set up their computers to create a "virtual" meeting of the ghost of Hamlet's father and Bernardo. The cast crowded around the monitor to see the magic taking shape.

"Wow! The castle looks great!" all agreed. "We need a bit more work on the technical trivialities," the director commented, "but it DOES look pretty cool!"

Bailey wanted to rehearse her famous speech as Polonius. "This has not been easy to memorize. I could say this in Sibe in lots fewer words and still get the point across." White Dog gathered everyone to listen. "Let's please, stick to the words the Bard wrote."

Bailey cleared her throat and closed her eyes for a moment to assume the character of the tedious old man.

Polonius began to speak to Laertes as he prepares to leave for Paris.

Yet here, Laertes! aboard, aboard, for shame!

The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail, And you are stay’d for. There; my blessing with thee! And these few precepts in thy memory See thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportioned thought his act.

Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel; But do not dull thy palm with entertainment Of each new-hatch’d, unfledged comrade. Beware

Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in, Bear’t that the opposed may beware of thee. Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice; Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgment. Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,

But not express’d in fancy; rich, not gaudy; For the apparel oft proclaims the man, And they in France of the best rank and station Are of a most select and generous chief in that. Neither a borrower nor a lender be;

For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. This above all: to thine ownself be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Farewell: my blessing season this in thee!

And with those final words, Pearl reached over turned off the light switch. All was dark. 
"Well," White Dog said, "that IS a mouthful. Good job, Bai. Could we turn the lights back on long enough to have a snack before we all head home?"