Welcome to the Website of Julia George
We haven’t always been writers.
Since the day Julia and George
decided a life together
would be the ultimate adventure,
they’ve donned a bevy of hats
and played a multitude of roles.
Figuratively and literally.
It’s been mostly exciting, occasionally precarious, often rewarding, and sometimes scary.
They’ve been accused
of being grasshoppers
They don’t deny it.
Here we are. Aren’t we cute?
We try our best to bring a little fun and laughter to others.
Make no mistake. like all of us, we’ve suffered our share of “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” to quote The Bard.
But even when Fortune was in a nasty mood, and things got a bit gnarly for our devil-may-care couple, the Wheel of Fortune always turned just enough to mitigate disaster and put us back on our feet.
Was it just random luck?
Or do old Russian saints have a soft spot for us?
Like Saint Pafnuti.
George’s family saint.
His icon was rescued from the Bolsheviks in 1919 by George’s grandmother.
That’s a new book we’re working on right now.
A Theater Background
George and Julia met in graduate school at UC Berkeley.
They were Drama majors back then.
George had been acting since high school.
Here’s a picture of him, age 17.
Center stage, naturally.
He’s playing the role of Khlestakov in his high school production of
The Government Inspector.
Another ridiculous satire by Nikolai Gogol,
best selling author of Dead Souls.
Mr. Gogol was an inspiration for our ridiculous satire.
Galya Popoff and the Dead Souls!
(Follow the link to learn more.)
George first saw Julia when she performed Electra.
He was – electrified.
The feeling was mutual.
They were inseparable.
So, instead of looking for teaching jobs they spent everything they had (and some they didn’t have) on a junket to Europe!
Such grasshoppers!
Naturally – they went to Greece to commune with the gods. It was hot. It was romantic. It was fabuous.
George at Delphi.
Julia at Delos.
Of course there was always the beach to cool them off.
The ruins in Athens were impressive.
The windmills of Mykonos were inspiring.
The Sacred Spring at Delphi was enlightening.
And Reality.
Which they decided to ignore.
Still in Grasshopper mode.
They rented an adorable – and cheap – cottage.
What they really wanted to do was start a theater.
So, they worked at various unrealated jobs by day.
And plotted and planned theatrical productions by night.
Gardening
However peaceful
Was never a success.
Neither Was House Painting!
They started small.
With productions in attics and church halls.
They were a team.
Building their own sets.
Designing and sewing their own costumes.
Both of them putting up posters and handing out fliers.
George’s Passion Was Directing
One of our first productions was in an old attic in Berkeley.
Complete with a fuzzy Wolf Spider who enjoyed watching the rehearsals.
He was harmless – or so I was told.
We had no budget. Everyone pitched in to make it happen.
The play was an unusual choice – Pantagleize – A revolutionary comedy.
Or, as Ghelderode (the playwright) called it – “A farce to make you sad.”
It was perfect for Berkeley at the time.
Little Pantagleize
Director, designer, cast and crew all helped to build the set.
Love and Revolution.
Everyone involved in the production helped to find costumes from their own wardrobes. The heroine’s Russian shirt was one I made for her. She loved it so much she kept it when the show was over.
Practical Pantagleize.
The actor on the left lived in the building. He was a hopeful textile artist who created fabrics with swirling colors. Cove cloth – because his name was Cove. The process was unique.
We moved to a church hall for our next production Miss Julie by August Strindberg.
My name is Julie
My ancestry is Norwegian Strindberg would approve.
Miss Julie
An aristocrat whose era is coming to an end. Miss Julie is also a young woman trapped by the limitations of her society.
I also designed and made the costumes for this. Do you recognize the dress? Click on the photo to find out.
Mismatched
Jean
Shakespeare outdoors was a dream come true.
Fortune smiled on us and we found the perfect venue to start the Berkeley Shakespeare Festival.
John Hinkle Park in Berkeley, CA was a magical slyvan setting both by day and by night.
A natural amphitheater in a shady grove of California oak trees provided the perfect background
for our favorite playwright – Mr. William Shakespeare!
Love’s Labours Lost and Taming of the Shrew were our first productions.
