Without getting too much into detail, my current day-to-day most closely resembles that of a Spanish soap opera. At least, that is how I feel due to the overly tumultuous nature of my personal life at the moment. Now, while those details are not for the likes of this blog (so sorry to those of you hoping for another Kardashian-esque scandal), I will say this... the last week has been an awful one. So awful, in fact, there may or may not have been a moment of weakness when I listened to Fiona Apple's "Parting Gift" on repeat... eesh.

Luckily, I am feeling like I am no longer at rock bottom. Besides, the point of the matter is not my personal woes! The point, my friends, is ESCAPE!

You see, in the midst of all of the Drama with a capital D, I was blessed with three acts of fresh and shiny humor. I forget sometimes, why I love to see live theater so damn much, and this last round of play-going served as an excellent reminder. What I love is how easy it is to be engulfed by the performance, no matter the story. This is something that, for me, film (our modern theater) has not been able do. Now, don't get me wrong - I love a good mega-plex or Blu-Ray as much as the next person, but movies are passive. When you are sitting in a plushy red seat, watching someone 30 feet away wear a ridiculous costume, cry out in pain, or fight like the deuce for the person they love, it's hard to think about anything else. It is this element that I find the most endearing, and also why I think that theater will never die despite the fact that it's roughly 2,610 years old... we need it.

It was Bertolt Brecht who once said "From the start it has been the theatre's business to entertain people ... it needs no other passport than fun." I'm telling you - he was right! And Charley's Aunt IS fun! Beyond fun!

I'd like to extend a personal thank you to Mr. John Skelly for his fabulous portrayal of Lord Fancourt Babberley... I would have paid good money that night for the facial expressions alone! Ellen Burkhardt of Minnesota Monthly beat me to the punch when she wrote: "A man in a dress is always funny. A man running in a dress is even funnier. And when John Skelley is the man sprinting about in a dress…well, that may be the funniest combination possible." (Read the full review here) In short, this role was well-cast and if someone were to tell me that Skelley was really just playing himself, I'd believe it. Babbs is described as a "jolly cheerful little chap" and pal of Charlie and Jack... and by the end of the evening, I wanted to be his friend too!

In fact, come to think of it, I liked the entire cast! Matthew Amendt as Jack Chesney, Charles Hubbell as Brassett, Colin McPhillamy as Stephen Spettigue, Peter Thomson as Sir Francis Chesney and of course, Sally Wingert as Donna Lucia d'Alvadorez are all splendid!! (Also, doesn't this play have the greatest character names of all time? I love them.) Each one of the actors truly embodies the idea of the farce through the usage of timely exaggeration and subtle nuances. For a play that has apparently been done in billions of high schools around the world (and one I admittedly had never heard of), I found Charley's Aunt to be quite refreshing.

The costumes and the set transform the audience back to Oxford circa 1892, but don't let this deter you! If you are like me and always feel a little antsy about period pieces, rest assured - this is still very much a story for the ages. The cast and crew do everything in their power to make the play approachable, and you will be sold during the very first scene when you take a look at Jack's room decor (particularly the statue on the desk).

In short, Charlie's Aunt was exactly what the doctor ordered for me... an escape to Oxford and a gut sore from laughter which is, as they say, the best medicine.

Later days, while there's tea, there's hope.