Shakespeare In Chinatown

When you walk, you see.
When you drive, you swear.

Or even worse, you listen to Talk Radio.
And swear even louder.

I was walking in Boston’s Chinatown recently.
The grand entrance is on Beach Street.

As is my favorite Chinese bakery.

Asian hate?

I’m feeling the Asian love, Baby!

I can’t wait to get back to London’s Chinatown.
So I can throw down one of these.

Close to the end of Beach Street, I noticed this.

It is between two Chinese restaurants.
There is nothing else around to indicate why it is there.

But Chinatown is close to the Boston Theatre District.
As you can see from some of the impressive facades nearby.

The Wang Theatre, on Tremont Street, is just a few blocks from the Shakespeare bust.

The building also houses the offices of the Tufts Medical Center.
Where I go to see Dr Iqbal.

The Wang Theatre used to be called the Music Hall.
Where I went to see one of my first rock concerts in August 1971.
With my totally beautiful high school classmate, Shelley Walker.

It was The Who.
My hearing was never the same after that.

I believe I put this poster on the wall of my office.

While I was a teaching assistant at Brown University.

It is not a stretch to suppose that the theatre district must have once extended to Beach Street.
Hence, the bust of the Bard.

Finding Shakespeare in Chinatown reminded me of the 20 glorious seasons I spent at the Globe Theatre in London.

I shall return to that magical venue.
Once my British friends are delivered from their bondage.

It’s good to know that William Shakespeare is loved on both sides of the pond.

I knew him long before I ever saw the Globe.
And enjoy him now even more for having done so.

Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!

Happy Birthday, Bill!