The only "surprising" thing about Mr. Sher's departure is that it took so long for him to finally admit publicly what has been glaringly obvious to many of us for quite some time, namely, that he no longer holds even the slightest interest in continuing to work here in the hinterlands, not while the siren-song of The Great White Way beckons from afar. Once he removed his permanent place of residence to Manhattan, such an announcement was inevitable, and frankly, the sooner the better for all concerned.

(Of course, one cannot help but note he will continue to draw a not inconsiderable double-paycheck from both Intiman and Lincoln Center for the duration, which no doubt played some part in his decision to "delay" his departure.)

And one must question whether importing a "pre-built" production of a Shakespeare play will really SAVE the theatre any significant amount of money. Particularly when production labor costs are weighed against the costs of airfare, hotel and per diem required to transport, house, and feed 20+ actors for some six weeks, and taking into account the presumably above-scale wages their New York agents will no doubt demand for their services - all of which would NOT have been spent had Mr. Sher simply honored his contractual obligation as Artistic Director and mounted a local production as originally advertised.

But then, it must be so terribly fatiguing to make the constant back-and-forth trips between New York and Seattle, and one imagines Mr. Sher quite capable of carrying out his other, more menial duties from a distance, whereas directing would have required his actual presence in Our Fair City.

But, given his apparent disgust with the backwardness of our provincial little hamlet, one can somewhat understand his reluctance to be seen on its streets and thoroughfares, lest he become the target of fusillades of rotten Pike Place Market vegetables pitched in his direction by incensed Intiman patrons who are being forced to continue paying him what is, in essence, an unearned salary for the next 19 months.