There is good news and bad news. The good news is that the City Fairfax Theatre Company is putting on a live show. The bad news is that is was rained out last night, so I didn’t get to see it (and I had no sooner parked than the heavens opened with a steady rain). But I can say that the costumes were fun and for a production on a shoestring would have been quite effective.
Sometimes nature just intervenes and laughs at what fools we mortals be.
So were the masks the characters wear — clear acrylic that swept down from a diadem-type of headband to cover the face so you could see expressions. They actually looked rather regal.
The show has been running since August 8 and will close tonight, August 16, weather permitting.
It is being produced at the Veteran’s Ampitheatre in the City of Fairfax —and there is plenty of parking. It’s a lovely small park and the company has set it up so that household groups have their own space and are at least 10 feet apart. You have to wear a mask. And while everyone present seemed armed with umbrellas, the cast wasn’t, and sitting on the grass, even with blankets or other ground coverings would have been soppy. If you brought a folding chair, you might have sunk down more than you liked.
A final word about the costumes — I had a chance to speak briefly with the costumer about the process of costuming in a time of social distancing. The cast had been sent sketches and then went through their own closets and to thrift stores to find suitable apparel. They then took pictures and sent them back to the costumer for a nay or an aye. Judging from what I saw, they matched the characters quite well.
To see “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” at the dusk in the park just seems perfect. So I was quite disappointed, but look forward to the next production. Sometimes nature just intervenes and laughs at what fools we mortals be. Perhaps next time the weather gods will be kinder.
Running Time: One hour and 20 minutes straight through.
“A Midsummer’s Night Dream” closes tonight (August 16, 2020). Show starts at 7:00 p.m. For more information, please click here.
