Lights, curtains, action!

Life Lesson Learned: People pay to sit close to the stage for a reason

When you grow up close to a popular tourist attraction, you often take it for granted. My hometown’s proximity to Lake Erie was something I truly came to appreciate only when I went to college in the middle of the state—far from any bodies of water. 

Another overlooked attraction? Rabbit Run Theater, a barn theater that opened in 1946 and is one of a few barn theaters in the country still operational today.

Believe it or not, a number of famous theater faces have even graced the stage over its history. (The back wall of the theater offers a fascinating trip down memory lane).  

While I’m certainly not a celebrity, I even have a bit of a personal history there. Through three different summers of theater camps, I was lucky enough to perform on stage as a frog, school psychiatrist and member of the School House Rock live ensemble. (No, I can’t sing–everyone in the camp was in each show in some capacity. Good news for my non-musical self!) I was also in a middle school production called “Bad Hair Day” that held its performances there. 

Unsurprisingly, I have fond memories of the place, and plenty of “behind the scenes” shots from my short theater experiences too. 

Despite the theater being a stone’s throw away, I’ve actually only been to one production as an audience member. The details are a little fuzzy, but I do remember seeing Titanic: The Musical as a teenager or pre-teen with my mom. The actors were great but the show itself was…not my cup of tea. Love the movie Titanic, love many musicals….did not love the blend of the two. (And to me it’s an odd choice of story for a musical, but what do I know?)

This summer, my mom suggested that I might want to go catch a play; and I’m glad she did! When I looked at their season schedule, it didn’t take me long to decide which one: Newsies! It’s been on my radar for years; our final “performance” in my jazz dance class in college was choreographed to the song “King of New York.” Unfortunately the show closed on Broadway the year before I moved to the NYC area, so I never got around to seeing it. 

But a show set in New York with a focus on the journalism industry of yesteryear? Count me in! 

As I arrived at the theater, it was delightful to see so many people enthusiastic about catching a summer show. People from the Cleveland area will even make the trek out, which I guess says a lot.

The property looked exactly as I had remembered it, though they’ve added more picnic tables for pre-performance dining. (Or in the case of many; a chance to enjoy a glass of wine…something to which I can’t relate, despite growing up in wine country!) Another welcome change was the new seats in the barn itself. They didn’t exactly provide squishy couch levels of comfort, but they are now padded and much more pleasant. Those slick, hard wooden seats that were around at my last visit left much to be desired. 

When I bought my ticket in the weeks prior, I had limited options when it came to choosing my seat. Thankfully, flying solo meant I could squeeze in between other groups, and I noticed a spot available in one of the first few rows. Yes, please! 

Live theater isn’t like the movie theater, where you end up with a crooked, zombie-like neck the closer you sit to the screen. But more importantly, Rabbit Run Theater isn’t like Broadway. You aren’t paying almost $200 just to sit three rows from the back wall while trying to see the ant-sized specks on stage known as actors. At Rabbit Run, you pay the same admission fee no matter where you choose to sit. I could not have been happier to be sitting so close to the stage that I could practically count people’s freckles. (Or at least not feel like I was sitting on another planet like I did at a Broadway show). 

The show itself was fantastic! The actors (many of whom were younger than myself—boy do I feel old!) put on a great performance and quite a few of the musical numbers made me want to get up and dance along with them. 

And now i’m going to be humming “King of New York” the rest of the day after writing this! 

Life Lesson Learned: Matinees can lack a little “something”

During my time living outside of NYC, I was fortunate enough to see three broadway shows. Sure, I was stuck sitting in what may have been the rafters (as previously mentioned) because I didn’t want to drop half my paycheck on a ticket, but I have no regrets.

I also had the chance to attend a couple of off-broadway shows; and it was like night and day! No fancy gift shops, no extravagant lobbies, no 15 mile-long auditoriums. And yet, the shows themselves were still a delight to watch! 

My first off-broadway experience was seeing Gillian Anderson in A Streetcar Named Desire in 2016 at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn. (You can read my original entry here!) That was my very first time going to Brooklyn—specifically DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). At the time, the area was pretty relaxed. I actually loved that it felt like a “hidden gem” though it was anything but vacant. The theater itself was one of only a few highlights along the East River, and dining options were scarce. You could choose from a Shake Shack location with no seating and underdone burgers, a pizza joint with lines out the door or hot dogs from a forgettable, stand-alone venue. For my first time in DUMBO, I ate a hot dog while sitting on a soggy bench. Fancy, I know.

Years later, I ventured back to DUMBO to visit their weekend flea market. I was stunned to see the transformation along the river front. The once peaceful spot had turned into a bustling tourist haven, partially thanks to the new Time Out Market.

Food options galore (figures!), as well as a roof deck offering incredible views. Of course, I too had to snap a bunch of photos because it was nothing short of awe-inspiring! Even St. Ann’s had created a lush courtyard that would have been perfect for an afternoon rest.

The area really looked great, but I can’t help but wonder how different my theater experience would have been if DUMBO were the area then that it is now. 

Speaking of my experience…

When I found out about Streetcar coming to Brooklyn, I initially bought a ticket for a Saturday matinee performance. Considering I lived in Union City, it wasn’t exactly a short subway ride home from DUMBO. I knew a regular night performance was out of the question; I’d probably barely make it to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in time to catch a bus! I did see though that the opening night performance was at 5:00 (which was far more reasonable for someone in NJ) so I snagged a second ticket. They were so “cheap” that even two tickets had cost less than my least expensive Broadway seat. Crazy! 

The great thing about St. Ann’s, just like Rabbit Run Theater, is that it’s a small venue. No matter where you sit, you’re guaranteed to have a great view. Plus, this was a theater in the round, which meant the stage was smack dab in the center and rotating throughout the performance. It was a unique set up that I wish more theaters would consider! 

As I had detailed on here at the time, the opening night performance had fantastic energy from Gillian and the rest of the cast; I was in awe! It was so much fun, in fact, that I couldn’t wait to see the show again the following weekend. 

Sadly, when that particular matinee show rolled around, I was underwhelmed. It wasn’t that it was bad per say, but compared to the other performance, something was lacking. (Though considering how long and intense of a show it is, I suspect everyone preserved much of their energy for the latter performance as there were two on Saturdays.) Of course, I likely wouldn’t have felt that way had I not seen the play on opening night…but am I ever glad I did! 

I’m sure it’s not a secret that I’m anything but a night owl. I was probably the only kid in the world who enjoyed having a somewhat early bedtime. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s this: when given a choice, head out for the evening performance. Because nothing beats the magic of theater at night!