Both projects involved lots of hard work, a good dose of frustration and doubt, and - once the dress rehearsals started - tons of fun.
I realized recently that this was my first "full" Shakespeare play. I totally get it now why it never gets old. I could happily have played Queen Elisabeth hundreds of times. I like that she's unlikeable in the beginning, and then wins your heart through her universal suffering and her thirst for revenge. I feel this incredible strength in her when she faces down Richard III to save her remaining child's life.
Now I have to figure out how to do a full Shakespeare play in English. That will be a real challenge.
Debriefing with the director minutes before the last performance