Play Reading Classes Have Begun Again

the Philip Smith Centre (used to be a school years ago)

Term I of our U3A (University of the Third Age) classes began today.  It was an extremely hot day here in Hobart (34 C : 98 F). Our classes are held in the old Philip Smith Building up on the domain on the second floor. No air conditioning but big windows that opened.  I wasn't looking forward to being in that building in this heat but I love the class so much it wasn't enough reason to stay away.


I must say the year got off to a rollicking start with the first part of the play Lysistrata by Aristophanes handed out to all of us. According to our wonderful instructor Marlene, this was one of the Peace plays attributed to Greek theatre. The themes this book encompasses include several. "The world is a much better place when men spend time loving their wives rather than their weapons. "  "War divides nations and families."  Although men hold power they lack the wisdom, good sense and gentleness of the women."
Lysistrata organises the women of the warring nations to come together and convinces the women to withhold sex from their men and lovers. They will resume their loving to the men once all the wars end and peace is declared.  We read the first section today and a bawdier play we have not read in this class.  Marlene gave us a good deal of information about Greek theatre at the time this was written (Just after 400 AD).
The play is described as a bawdy, slapstick, naughty comedy and it certainly lives up to that description.  Some of the descriptions of the positions the women will no longer be participating in had everyone in absolute peals of laughter. One old gentleman was quite fascinated by the term "cheesegrater" and insisted on the definition being looked up in the notes. When read aloud there were many twitters and snickers from some of our gentler ladies. Remember this is a group of oldies here.  Don't underestimate their energy or sense of humour. The young hold no power over this group, believe me.

We will continue the reading next week and I'll bet the attendance of the class once again will be high. I just hope everyone has good heart health.

After the class I fired up my scooter as "Tuesday after Class" is the day I generally go to the Op shops to Penguin hunt a bit.  I missed Vinnie's today because Motorworks is next door and I went into hassle them about why my new Italian Aprilia Max 300 scooter hasn't arrived yet. Still on that slow boat from Italy. News was good though because the wholesaler in Sydney who is ordering it on behalf of our guy in Hobart has 8 customers all waiting for one. Evidently I'm first on the backorder list. Isn't that good salesmanship to tell me that. Hey I fell for it.

Left Motorworks, no closer to knowing when it will arrive and headed down to my favourite charity shop, The Red Cross book store. On the way there I got waylaid again as I pulled over quickly when I saw an elderly woman had collapsed on the footpath and her friend was trying to hold her up. I parked the scoot and helped her get the woman in to a recovery position. Unfortunately the only thing we had to lay her down on was my bike jacket that is full of armour but still softer than the footpath. Her friend called the ambulance and they arrived in the next few minutes. Seems she had been overdoing the walking a bit. She hadn't had anything to eat but had a strong coffee. The heat was also a factor. People drop like flies here when it is hot. Once the ambos had it in hand I rode off to Penguin hunt. No I didn't hear any comments such as , "Who was that masked woman?"  You do what you need to do. We're boomers after all.

The Red Cross bookshop had some nice classics for next to nothing but no vintage Penguins. I will pop those books online tomorrow so you can see what my Op Shop Loot is for this week.

It was past time to get home and cool down. Nothing like biker clothes to keep the temperatures high but I wouldn't be without them. So until tomorrow stay....................cool.