I was also looking forward to seeing the theatre for the first time.  Even though it had re-opened in June of 2000, I'd not yet been able to get across the "hole in the water" to see any of their offerings.  A chance to see a refurbished house is always a treat, especially one that had been built and designed for a time when there was not amplification available - requiring the performers to use good diction and projection to be heard.  The history of this performance space dates back to it's creation in 1908 as a "high class movie and vaudeville" house.  Originally seating 600 with a balcony, the current structure still has a balcony, but the number of seats is about 400. Like many similar theatres of its day, it has undergone many incarnations, including the Lee Adult Theater, and had fallen into a state of disrepair.  As a matter of fact it reminds me of some of the old theatres I've had the honor to perform in while touring in New England.

As I entered the lobby, I was impressed with the decor.  Simple, yet comfortable.  A beverage bar and small concession area for those wishing a slight repast prior to the show.  Very tasteful and inviting.  Then I entered the theatre.

The majority of places that raise money to restore an old performance space usually spend the funds collected on those areas that the paying audience see.  This was quite evident to me as mentioned above about the lobby area.  As I sat down in the almost too small seat, I noticed that the same attention to detail had not made it into the theatre proper.  Granted, the theatre had restored the original chairs, but the American body size has changed since 1908 and the seats were very uncomfortable.  A single arm between chairs, and little leg room.  I was glad that the row I was in wasn't full, and that I had open chairs on both sides of me. 

I can't imagine how much more uncomfortable I might have been had I needed to share the space with others.

The walls were of old brick, with evidence of patching and bricking up of openings that once were there.  The brick had gouges and nicks scattered throughout, and I thought of other old buildings with a similar appearance that would have been called derelict.  Had I been sitting on one of the aisles (left and right of the house) I could have leaned across and touched the wall.  The only thing that appeared new was the theatre proscenium.  The stage was as wide as the seating area, and suffers from a lack of wing space.  I was not able to step backstage and see the actors area which is mentioned in the program as having been renovated.

As the lights went down I looked around me and noticed that the house was only about half full.  On a Saturday night.  In a space that only seats 400, having but 200 for an actor of MS DUKAKIS fame was, to my mind, insulting.  The lights came up onstage, and we were into the mind of ROSE, an 80 year old lady from the shtetl of the Ukraine, who had survived the Warsaw ghetto, and had moved to the U.S. following the war after a very brief detour to what was then Palestine.  The character, as she relates the various episodes of her life, reveals a rich history of not just her personal struggle, but of the struggle of Judaism itself during the last half of the 20th Century.

{josquote}MS DUKAKIS performance has been called a "tour de force" by the New York Times, and as I was completely drawn into her portrayal of this wonderfully human being I can understand why.{/josqote}  I laughed, I was moved, I felt great empathy for what this person had endured.  And I came to understand the problems that some Americans of Jewish descent have with their counterparts in Israel.  There appears to be a disconnect with what was Eastern European Jewry, and what has evolved in the current state of Israel.  And it was highlighted most especially at the close of the performance as ROSE relates a discussion she's had with her son who's in the "promised land."

ROSE is sitting shiva, a tradition of mourning, when we open and close this show.  This is not the case with THE AMERICAN THEATRE.  The season which is listed in their program is ambitious to say the least, and they are worthy of all the support this region can give them.  It shouldn't be hard to fill 400 seats on a consistent basis, and hopefully the local theatre folks will come out and see some really gifted performers.