02/17/2024
Just minutes ago, we were engulfed in raucous applause as the curtain fell, and the performers gracefully took their bows at a local community theater production. It is not important to name the show; only to note that it was a captivating escape from the mundane prospect of sitting home on a chilly Friday night in February. While still trying to make sense of the enigmatic ending that seemed abrupt and unexplained, a sense of urgency passed through the audience, heightening our senses as hushed whispers pierce the still-darkened room. “Great show. Fine job,” we murmur to each other, our voices brimming with admiration and appreciation for talent that we don’t ourselves possess. With swift motions, we grab our jackets and empty cups. Feeling a heady rush as we make our way to the arching doorway and spill out into the street, we nod and smile at each other while making friendly allowances, drifting apart then disappearing into the night with our own.
Continuing around the corner, the sight ahead seems, at first glance, to be in stark contrast to the venue we had just exited with its moody painted sets and actors swinging from twisted ropes above the stage. Quiet, clean and brightly lit, a full moon high overhead illuminates this scene like a movie on pause. It feels like the drama will continue into life itself. Wait, or was it life we just witnessed? I feel disoriented. Certainly, this clean-swept farce is not convincing enough to be real? Has a digital artist created this overly processed scene while lounging by a crystal pool in an invitingly warm climate? Does it feel a little too perfect to believe? Just look at those straight painted lines, and the sidewalk with just the right amount of grime. Even the streetlamp casts an exquisite well-lit glow and shadows contour bricks and highlight pavement, and stairs, and a dumpster that is clean. The unassuming flawlessness of the streetscape ahead blurs the ethereal boundaries between reality and imagination. This is my comfort, traversing back and forth between the two.
-Lisa Lazuli
2024
Hickory, NC
I previously posted this photo taken after seeing a recent production of Ride the Cyclone at Hickory The Hickory Community Theatre We did enjoy the show!
