Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Where in Wellfleet Are We?

Only Amy ventured a guess, and she was not far off. Yesterday I made it to the shindig the Harbor Stage players threw for B&B owners and enjoyed a glass of white wine in the company of Lewis, Brenda, Amanda, Jonathan, Stacy and Robert. First off, I was surprised by how young these actors are. For some reason, I had assumed them to be veterans of the first days of WHAT, so how could they be in their thirties? Does not compute, although Amanda did tell me she had been in some of the WHAT productions for kids. Anyway, they are a busy bunch and have transformed the decrepit venue at the harbor into a marvel. The walls of the lobby and backrooms are freshly painted, creating an inviting space for anyone who happens by. As for the stage, I was astounded by the detail and effort that had gone into creating the 19th century world of Hedda Gabler, their first production of the summer. These actors are jacks-of-all-trades. Not only do they paint and stencil. The men installed salvaged parquet floors over a two-day period. The set looks amazing, intimate, and extremely inviting. According to our guests Ann and Tim, who saw Hedda on Saturday night, the team also can act. With a rave review under their belt from Cape Cod Times, they are on their way. What’s more, they plan to make the theater as green as possible. I asked Amanda about competition with WHAT, and she explained relations are quite cordial, that WHAT even lent the Harbor Stage Company two doorknobs for the set. Hedda Gabler will run until July 14th, Wednesday through Sunday. Tickets are $20.