This past Friday I lumped myself into a group of friends who went downtown to see the provocatively advertised The Boycott at the Town Hall Theater. You’ll still see the posters up. Naked woman with globe is it hot enough for you? A quick glance at the poster implies that this one-woman, Vermont-grown show centers around environmental goodness and badness, but little did I know that it would also be based on the well known (around here anyways) Greek tragedy Lysistrata. You can just imagine it: the first lady, Lysa Stratin (sp?) publicly vows not to have sex with her husband until he takes immediate (and I mean immediate) action to save our environment from its apparent doom. With a female-sock-puppet-Brazilian-treefrog as her muse, Lysa takes a good deal of the American female population down with her and eventually succeeds in establishing positive change for our plush green little home. I laughed, there was a standing ovation, various “unf*** the world” paraphernalia was sold in the lobby, and I’m sure many joined the actress for coffee and conversation afterwards at Carol’s.
Perhaps more importantly though, this performance apparently marked the first time that Middlebury College and the New-and-Improved Town Hall Theatre have gotten together to co-produce a show. Aaaah, the College has united with the community over a great new performance space. How pleasant. After 10 years of fund-raising and construction, the interior restoration of the MTHT was finally finished at the beginning of the summer. The theatre thus got “back into action” with the Middlebury Community Players’ production of the nineteenth century play Cyrano de Bergerac during which our own Willy McKay ’11 apparently made the first ever performed entrance on the restored stage. Props to you, Willy. Since then, the theatre quickly became booked for fall; serving as a venue for weddings, indoor farmers’ markets, musicians, Middlebury College productions (You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown showing in November), you name it. I also hear that the seating risers can be removed with the push of a button, revealing a swell dance floor. Also, also: there is an art exhibit on the lower level for those of you who dig that kind of thing. I know I do. Also, also, also: there is an old well within the floor of the art exhibit level that is lit and covered by glass so that you can see down in it and not fall in like that poor girl in The Ring. Check it out. Check it all out.
The Theater Calendar (and official website):
http://www.townhalltheater.org/calendar.html
The official website for Kathryn Blume’s The Boycott (feat. videos of the performance and access to the “unf*** the world” paraphernalia.)
http://www.theboycottplay.com/
An article on Cyrano and the new theatre itself:
http://www.7dvt.com/2008midd-s-town-hall-theater-back-action
