Local talent hits bullseye in Saltfire production
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Inventive choreography and charming, hand-constructed costumes upped the production value of this show. Photo by Kathie Meyer [/caption]
Arts news by Kathie Meyer
We wait all year for this. Summer in the Pacific Northwest means going outside. Summer in Jefferson County means going outside for so many different reasons, it’s hard to count them. At the top of my list in August is live theater in the outdoors.
It was then, with high anticipation, that I awaited the opening performance of Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood, at Finnriver on Friday, Aug. 8. The eagerness was not just because I’d be sure to see something smart and funny written by Ken Ludwig, a Broadway playwright of much comic repute. My excitement was to see Erik Van Beuzekom direct a show, something that hasn’t happened that I know of since Chimacum’s Paradise Theatre School, which he co-founded with Pattie Miles, closed its doors in 2011.
To go to a play just to enjoy it is one thing. To go to review it is quite another. And to review community theater is quite different than reviewing professional theater. The standards are not the same, but if you’re lucky, the talent at your community theater runs deep and wide. We, as a community, are that lucky.
In other words, Saltfire Theatre could produce almost anything at this point, and I’d be entertained by it. To choose a play that highlights Van Beuzekom’s dueling arts expertise was a no-brainer. The archery scenes gave even more physicality to this very active show. Nevertheless, what made this production fun for me was the coming together of theater nerds who’ve lived and acted here for decades, like Zach NeSmith and Raven, with those relatively new to the local theater community, Dan Westerburg as an example, and young people more than ready to assume meatier roles, such as Kael Beil.
In addition, we have a female sheriff, aptly portrayed by Genevieve Barlow, one of Saltfire’s founders. While there is a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor, audience participation, and whatnot, Barlow and the rest resist over-the-top campiness because the issues of tyranny, poverty, and injustice underlying the story keep it from going in that direction. Charlie Pope and Laura Cornell play well off of each other as Robin Hood and Maid Marian, and Pope’s rallying cry to the masses to rise up and resist made me hoot and holler.
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The cast presents director Erik Van Beuzekom with a bouquet on opening night of Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood. Photo by Kathie Meyer [/caption]
Many of the actors played multiple parts, and a couple of parents participated with their kids, making the production all the more special. All of the actors, as well as their director, brought their best chops to their roles and responsibilities. As for the backstage participants, I give kudos to the costumers and dance choreographers Coral Beil, Kerry Christianson, Camille Hildebrandt, Elaine Phillips, and Libby Wennstrom.
You can tell everyone is having fun, which is the whole point of community theater, if you ask me. In this case, you’re looking at almost 30 local people coming together to make Sherwood happen. Some of them (Isla Kennedy, Dylan Lewis, Karen Anderson) are first-timers to Saltfire, which speaks to the non-profit’s inclusiveness to newcomers.
Your mileage may vary, but I was entertained through and through. If you’re looking for something to take the whole family to, where the sun and the talent shine bright, go watch Robin Hood, Maid Marian, and the rest of the merry bunch hit a bullseye for local theater.
Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood runs Friday through Sunday, Aug. 15-17, at Finnriver in Chimacum, and then Friday through Sunday, Aug. 22-24, at Littlefield Green in Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend. Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances begin at 6 pm. For tickets and more information, see saltfiretheatre.org.
