1964. For those of us who were around back then the year brings many things to mind. The first year of the Johnson administration after the death of JFK, the Beatles on Ed Sullivan bringing about the era of the “British Invasion,” and an election year where Barry Goldwater was associated with nuclear war in a political commercial. And for the intimate theatre of The Williamsburg Players, 1964 also happens to be the setting for the Bernard Slade murder mystery, “An Act of the Imagination.” We’re placed in England, Hampstead to be specific just outside London, in an old Manor House where the mystery writer, Arthur Putnam, has just finished his latest work. The (alleged) action of the play starts at that point.

American History, as taught to the K-12 set, is arguably in need of a soundtrack, as well as faculty skillful enough, and with enough energy, to bring it back to life in the retelling. We would all be aghast if, in some remote future, the efforts of our own modern age were reduced to two dates and a hyphen, merely because history was viewed only in terms of really grandiose accomplishments. Yet these days, this is more or less what people absorb from what went before. I’m reminded of Robin Williams’ portrayal of a teacher in the film “Dead Poet’s Society”, unwilling to bend to the same boring repartee in order to introduce his students to serious literature. Hurrah for the characters like that! And huzzah for shows like “1776”, now being offered by Peninsula Community Theatre.

The Generic Theater’s latest offering, Jar the Floor, by Cheryl L. West is a well-written and moving piece about the women in a family who have forgotten where they have come from, what they are working for, and when the right time is to make sacrifices. The women in this family have come together to celebrate the 90th birthday of the matriarch. The three successive generations of women bicker, make up, and surprise each other during the course of the day in ways both expected and unexpected, making for a potentially entertaining piece.

Visiting the Generic Theater is always a treat. Attending the performance of the production “Jar the Floor” by Cheryl L. West showed promise. After collecting my playbill and pausing to reflect on the portraits of children up for adoption in the state of Virginia, I entered the theater and found my seat.

While the house lights remained up, one could marvel at the set design. Creative while maintaining the cozy home feel, the set was full of character in and of itself. Soon the show began and I was not as prepared as I thought.

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