As we set out for a Labor Day weekend of plays in Ashland the smoke of raging forest fires lay heavy along our southbound route, dulling skies and moods. We’d been advised in an advance email from the Ashland Shakespeare Festival that three outdoor performances had been cancelled due to smoke the week before but we held fast to our tickets and optimism. Our hopes were rewarded with two days of performances – one indoor and the second outside on Ashland’s Elizabethan stage. Bu