Picnic at Triad Stage is a Triumph

I'm sorry to say that I was not familiar with William Inge's masterpiece PICNIC. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend the opening night performance of Triad Stage's production of this "summer romance".

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that I don't do reviews. That's just not the business I'm in and I don't really have any interest in being a critic of anything. I do, however, like what I like and when I like something you better believe I'm going to talk about it! Therefore...

Go see Picnic. Run, do not walk, to the interwebs and get yourself a ticket or two! Here's a little info about Picnic:

The greatest risk is love.

It’s a peaceful time for a quiet Kansas town in the early 1950s and summer is drawing to a close with the excitement of the annual Labor Day picnic. But the sudden arrival of Hal Carter, a handsome young drifter, stirs the emotions of a group of neighbors as he develops an instant attraction with Madge, one of the most beautiful girls in town. As Hal hides deep insecurities with grand shows of bravado, Madge is torn between her heart and her head in this Pulitzer Prize-winning drama where passions turn one small community upside down.

Picnic

A Summer Romance

by William Inge

directed by Preston Lane

September 6 – 27, 2009

This production is, as is to be expected from Triad Stage, top notch. The set by Howard Jones is glorious - a stark Kansas landscape that is both overwhelmingly vast and suffocatingly small, much like the inner lives of each of Inge's characters. Using the laundry lines to extend the sky creates a beautiful and expansive backdrop. The costumes by Kelsey Hunt are perfectly period and very well done with a color palate that is both as brown and dirty as the Kansas landscape, and as gold and glorious as a mid-western sunset. The acting is profound. Each character is fully developed and emotionally engaged. It was a joy to watch this story unfold. I'm completely in love with Elizabeth Ritson who plays Flo Owens (the mother) and the gorgeous Meg Steedle who plays Madge Owens. I also have a crush on Joe Tippett who plays the smoldering, charming, damaged Hal Carter. Did I mention he spends most of the show with his shirt off? Well, he does and that in itself is worth the price of admission! Watch out William Holden!

Congrats to Preston Lane, the cast, crew, technicians and everyone else involved on a stellar production! If you haven't seen a show yet this season, this is a good place to start! This production reminded me why I work in the theatre!

Now read what a real reviewer thinks!

“Director Preston Lane dares to show the power of passion in raw scenes that seem to combust before our very eyes. This dirty, dusty, superb rendition of a theater classic will hang in your memory like clouds in a Kansas sky.”  – Lynn Jessup, Classical Voice of North Carolina
Click here to read the full review.

Also, check out this insider's look at Picnic!



Check out this clip of William Holden dancing(?) in the 1955 movie version. Apparently, he would only do the dancing if he was drunk. I don't think this dancing is very sexy (plus Bill Holden is almost 40 in 1955!), so go see Triad Stage's production instead!