Palegoldenrod

One of my good friends was in a play on the weekend with the local Repertory Society. It was Ariel Dorfman’s Death and the Maiden, a story I am told is loosely meant to be set in Chile following Pinoche’s regime, but could be placed in any politically unstable society. It deals with the story of a husband and wife dealing with her captivity enacted by a corrupt government in the past, a situation that becomes quite intense when she meets a man who she is convinced was involved in her rape and torture.

The whole play has only three people cast in it, and this particular one was run by the youth section of the Repertory group – the actors were about 20-25 I’d say. With such a small cast the burden on these guys was quite large – I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been to learn so much dialog. They have been preparing and rehearsing since the start of the year for only 4 shows in the last 2 weeks. What an effort

This is the third time I have caught a production by this Repertory group, and I have enjoyed every one. I guess the point of this post is twofold: firstly to thank my friend for investing such time and effort into the play to entertain us (and his wife for letting him do so!); and secondly to encourage you all to look a little closer to home when you go seeking entertainment. Check out your local community theatre group – you might be pleasantly surprised.

If you are in the lower Hunter Valley, check out Maitland Repertory Society.