You know, so many people seem to only be capable of focusing on what was lost during the pandemic, but looking back on it (and to a lesser extent, even as it was occurring) I find myself strangely awestruck by the creativity and resilience of humanity in the face of adversity. Throughout history, moments like that have invariably done little more than separate the wheat from the chaff, reminding us that while there will always be those with small minds and pitiful spirits to whine about masks and vaccines, there will always be others who not only refuse to bemoan the challenges that life brings and instead use them to create new things to inspire and delight us. This production surely stands as one of the finest examples of that.

Another that comes quickly to mind was a table read organized by the cast and crew of The Good Fight when they reached a point that they could no longer continue producing the show. Not only was it a delightful and engaging performance by all assembled, but they closed with a group rendition of the classic song "You Are My Sunshine," which thanks to the presence of Audra McDonald in the cast (if you aren't familiar with her talents, especially her voice, I implore you in the name of everything sacred to do so this very instant) left me humbled and speechless, wiping tears from my eyes. Even now, as the memory of what we all endured during that period is beginning to fade from memory, my thoughts often return to that moment I sat watching it at my kitchen table, feeling afraid and isolated and irked that one of my favorite shows was ending abruptly, and how after they'd finished singing all of that had been replaced feelings and wonder and gratitude at having just experienced something that I couldn't imagine having come about any other way.

The Princess Bride is full of beautiful lessons, but maybe none so powerful as our lives are impacted far more by our attitudes than by our circumstances. Bravo to all the brilliant performers who refused to cower in the face of a deadly pandemic and preferred to make something seemingly imperfect which is so much more than the sum of its parts. I still have grave reservations about the fate of humanity, but they stem mostly from the tragic proportions of the whiny, small-minded folk to the others who rise to the occasion and grow mightier from the struggle. I hope that the next time we are sorely tested like that, we are able to make a better accounting of ourselves.