The best laid plans by Annie Foster

Well, after getting fantastic pre-show coverage in the Daily Press for Of Mice and Men as well as having some lovely reviewers in the audience opening night, TRR is well on its way to becoming a great presence in our community!

The energy in the audience on opening night was something very special to behold. As the lights went down and Jim and Matthew came into our Barn as Lennie and George, you could feel the world of the play come into complete fruition in front of you - and all around you. I’ve felt that way all throughout the rehearsal process whenever I watch any of our 10 actors work, but to feel it with an audience was unforgettable. The themes of this play are universal yet specific and they touch us all - and I believe they make us grateful for what we have in our lives.

There were a couple performances on this opening weekend where we had light houses; the July 4th weekend is certainly responsible for that, but I can’t think of a more fitting time to put up an American classic with such strong themes of personal freedom and the pursuit of dreams and happiness.

After our opening performance, Bobby & Vicki Freeman were kind enough to open their beautiful home to us for a fantastic opening night party. It was a very welcoming environment for artists - between the art in their home, the food, and the drinks, it couldn’t have been better!

With the show up and running now, I finally had a chance to peek in rehearsal for The Foreigner.  They had their design run through on Thursday evening and I caught the first half hour or so - I’m ready to see the rest!  In particular, seeing Jackie Prucha as Betty Meeks after watching her as Mama (and others!) in Quilters was great fun - she and the rest of the cast are going to have everyone in stitches.

It’s been a great weekend, and we’ve all been working hard - even though we all finally took a day off for the 4th.

Tonight we’re doing something really special - our production stage manager Lara Maerz has put together a reading of the contemporary play Fat Pig by Neil LaBute in our other home besides the Barn, the Ferguson Center for the Arts. We never seem to get enough theatre around here I suppose.

If you haven’t gotten your tickets for Of Mice and Men yet, now is the time to get them. If you have seen the show already, it’s the time to - yes, you guessed it - tell everyone you know! We anticipate a really exciting closing week and we’d love for anyone and everyone to be a part of it.

And it’s hard to believe, but in just 9 days we open our final show, The Foreigner! So pick up your tickets for both of these great American stories, and we’ll see you at the Barn.