What You Can Do

The recent monetary troubles in Iceland, which are really the whole world's troubles, have left many wondering what they could do to help out the people of Iceland. Make no mistake, there are many who deposited money in Icelandic banks who may lose a great deal of money. The fact remains, however, that the Icelandic people and its culture will take a far greater hit and take far longer to recover than any of the other vested interests. It remains to be seen if the rest of the world won't suffer in like fashion, only the larger scale and more inertia (and massive amounts of "imaginary" money) have prevented a meltdown such as this from happening everywhere. We'll all pay, probably in the form of inflation over the long haul.

So, if you have any remaining assets, why not use them for the experience of a lifetime?

I'm talking Þjóðleikhúsið, ladies and gentlemen, The National Theatre of Iceland.

What's that you say? "It's too far", "It costs too much", "I don't understand Icelandic", "How would I get tickets", and, the most telling objection of all- "I'm afraid".

Iceland is as close as a major airport. It takes about 6 hours or less to get there from the U.S.

The whole trip (Wednesday through Monday) would cost about $1500 if you didn't go wild on your accommodations. You'd have plenty of time to catch two or three shows. It would be cheaper than Broadway.

The whole point of seeing the play is that it is in Icelandic. It's a really a cool language to hear spoken. Com'on- push the envelope a little, let it overwhelm you, escape from your comfort zone.

You can order tickets via e-mail (midasala@leikhusid.is). The season runs from October through May, you'll avoid the summer crowds (and prices.)

Don't be afraid. Help keep Icelandic culture alive. The productions I've seen have all been fantastic, absolutely world-class.

Now is the time. Treat yourself to an experience of a lifetime. You can do it.

Photo: Þjóðleikhúsið lobby, 2006