antic

Between the new and unapologetically exuberant Democratic presidential ticket and the glorious Paris Olympics, the dog days of summer have shed their reputation for bittersweet lethargy and become the Season of the Vibe Shift, as antic as a rescue pup.

The agility competition might be the rhythmic gymnastics of Westminster, derided as less than by traditionalists, but it’s a growing sport with meritocratic principles and an air of antic fun in its favor.

Even before Macbeth lays eyes on the ghost of Banquo at the banquet, he adopts a version of Hamlet’s antic disposition, laughing strangely and behaving erratically.

In the first scene of “Mother Play: A Play in Five Evictions,” Paula Vogel’s antic, mournful new drama, Martha, a character modeled on the playwright, offers a version of Ecclesiastes.

Still, the antic was considered bush-league by NHL players until Andrei Svechnikov of Carolina scored a “Michigan” goal in 2019, followed by Trevor Zegras of Anaheim netting a couple three years later and a third this season against Kraken goalie Joey Daccord.