An opening night can be breathtaking, like a bird flushed from the wild, startled to suddenly have an audience.
Its always an adrenaline rush, for good or not, and fortunately the one I attended at the Icehouse in Bethlehem, where A.E. Housemans "A Shropshire Lad" opened tonight, had plenty of the positive on its side.
There is a lovely smaller upstairs room at this facility, where director Ara Barlieb has staged a return engagement of his production, and a wealth of stories, music and poetry await the lucky viewers who enter this Welsh pub on a winters night in 1889.
A cast of twelve makes up an ensemble of actors, singers and dancers who are confident and obviously proud of their abilities to capture the raw energy of an assortment of farmers, barmaids, soldiers, murderers, constables, drunks and ghosts, all of whom try to draw Terence, the young poet (the Shropshire lad) into their barroom festivities.
They think life is meant to be lived, and drawing upon much of Housmans original poetry, Barlieb has energized his talented actors to portray an uplifting story about the power of the human spirit to find beauty, art and friendship amidst the fear and dread of existence.
Act I sets up much of the storyline with energetic, uplifting poetry and music, drawing in the viewers with a sense of camaraderie that makes you feel good to be a part of this happy place and glad you stumbled in out of the cold. Barliebs set design has a cheerful look, Sarah Thomass choreography is upbeat, and Nora Oswalds scene painting is convincingly atmospheric. Act II, however, brings a more somber mood as the threat of war and death comes close to home, and the more haunting poems of Housmans work, and some beautiful sad songs bring us ever closer to dashed dreams and lost loves.
Sustained applause goes out to Ryan MacNamara's 'Terence', David's Fox's pub devil, Dan Ferry's dying soldier, and to all others in this outstanding troup, Pamela Wallace, Patti Squire, David Oswald, Alex Racines, John Cusumano, Rebecca Burroughs, Paula Klein, Libby Ross, and Goran Zdravkovic.
I was lucky enough to win a Dover paperback edition of "A Shropshire Lad" in the drawing held at the start of the show, and copies are available for sale at the front of the house. An audience member told me her father carried a paperback version of this remarkable work in his breast pocket throughout WW II, and she still owns the same tattered relic. Now that is a real tribute to "The Lad".
Come to The Icehouse and see why for yourself. Barlieb and his troupe serve it well.
Shows February 21 at 8PM, February 22 at 2PM, February 27 at Amber Connection in Emmaus at 8PM, and March 1 at The Icehouse at 2PM and 430PM.
For tickets, directions, and additional information, please visit www.ckplayers.com or call 610-395-7176.