Theatre at Lime Kiln of Lexington, VA

A view From the stage. 

So, our first venue on the long leg of our first half of our contract, and it was an experience, indeed!

The Lime Kiln is a beautiful outdoor performance property, with three permanent venues and a one-point, big-top tent.

The primary space (The Lime Kiln itself) is a wonder of living and preserved history.  Like all memorable theatres, Lime Kiln owes its history as much to happenstance as intent..  A post civil war entrepreneur's failed get rich quick scheme left a ramshackle ruin of excavation, natural beauty and aged architecture.  This left available a foundation on which these gifted patrons of the arts have built

A view Of the Stage.  (See what I did there?)

a space that inspires a whimsical nostalgia perfect for the tone and style that they specialize in.  Perhaps you'd like to enjoy Shakespeare under the stars, with a beer in your hand and a burger on your plate?  If that doesn't suite your fancy, can we offer you a staged story of 'Stonewall' Jackson's life?
Did we mention it was a musical?

Anyway, I mention the Lime Kiln itself to give you a sense of the tragedy of our stay that we were unable to use the space.

This season's steady rain and misting of the Appalachian/Blue Ridge ranges made a mud pit of the pictured venue and settled us into the aforementioned tent-space.

So, let us put on for you a show on a stage that is, after the addition of our travel 'Discovery Space' (a piece of Original Staging Conditions artifice that gives any audience anywhere the feeling that they're watching a show at the Staunton Blackfriars) about seven feet deep and three times that wide.  Alright folks, hold on tight and let's hope you like it.

And they did.

As a part of the performance end of things, I'm inclined to be overtly and always hyper critical of every piece of professional and personal minutia that goes into any show (one that I'm in or one that I'm watching).  You call it snobbery, i call it investment in the work.

Anyway.

I was distressed by allot of our performance.  Our crowded stage-space was mirrored in miniature by the backstage.  For my own part, i couldn't wait to get my-pantaloon-ed posterior onstage just so i could have some room to breathe.  Blocking felt clunky and i was ever and always aware of what sort of wear and tear i might be putting on my costume.  My costume made out of very expensive, very delicate fabric.  So too are all of our costumes, but it's my blog so we're sticking to first person.

So there we are, having a seat-of-our-pants kinda show and come the middle of the second act (My quiet, meditative time where i get to sit cross legged on the fairy bower surrounded by noise makers and ring/slap/rattle/and whistle my way to nirvana) i have a realization: They are a Great crowd.

Laughing at the sight gags; laughing at the prat falls and physical bits; Laughing at the rhetoric!  What a crowd.

And that's the important bit.  We put on a silly play for the peoples, and the peoples loved it.

And we love them back.

In summary: Go to the Lime Kiln because  It's gorgeous and worth as much attention as any regional theatre I've seen; Do the best you can but don't let your attention to minutia take you out of the joy of the Play; come see our shows because they're funny.

Fin.

...Lime Kiln