“A meaningful life is not about being rich, being popular, being highly educated, or being perfect. It’s about being real, being humble, being able to share ourselves and touch the lives of others.” ~ Unknown
Due to construction I’ve been walking through the Fine Arts Building to get to work for the last two weeks. I pass by the Guignol Theater on my way to and fro. They’ve done a lot of interior upgrades to the building, and the Guignol’s doors attracted my attention. It took me years to pronounce ‘Guignol’, and I’m still not sure I say it properly. Guignol was a puppet invented in the 1700’s in France. It was meant for children, but apparently Guignol’s wit appealed to adults, too. Something about Guignol stuck with the theater crowd. I just finished the series Penny Dreadful over the weekend. Many scenes take place in the Grand Guignol theater of London. “Grand Guignol” means “Big Puppet Show.” The original Grand Guignol was in Paris in the late 1800’s. However, London’s Grand Guignol didn’t come into being until the 1920’s, long after the setting of Penny Dreadful. But that’s the movies. One can play with time and place and people might notice, but more likely they won’t. In any case, now I know what Guignol means, and I might act up a bit tomorrow when I pass by the Guignol. You know, just for fun.
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