I said I would write more about our recent theatrical experience at the Carriage House Theatre on a day when I didn’t have a whole lot to talk about. What’s that? That’s every day? Yeah, I know… Anyway, when I found out that Mouse was doing yet another play so soon after the last one, I was happy, albeit a bit incredulous. My beautiful Mouse is a responsible adult and she can do as many or as few plays as she wants but she does have a responsible day job (and a garden) and it is difficult to hold down a day job and act in a theatrical production at the same time. I love going to see her when she does act. When I found out that the play was actually within walking distance from The Landfill (although we didn’t walk), I was ecstatic! A lot of plays are at the Riverside and although I love that venue, I don’t always love the trek over to Ypsilanti and back.

The Carriage House is in an outbuilding behind a house down on the Old West Side. I love venues like this. I love big venues too but I have been known to fall asleep in venues like the Lydia Mendelssohn, not to mention the Power Center, many years ago (A HORSE, A HORSE, MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE! Okay 1) Wake up KW, 2) Ohhh, THAT’s the play that came from…) I did NOT fall asleep at the Carriage House production of Phedre. All of the action was literally a few feet away from me!

If my Mouse reads this, she will hit me with the nearest shillelagh but I was blown away by her performance as Phedre. I kept wanting to stand up and tell the audience something like, “She’s my baby, she isn’t usually like this.” Of course I didn’t do that and, after the play ended, the folks sitting next to us saw us hanging about with Mouse / Phedre and said something like, “We didn’t know Phedre was your daughter.” No. Because I don’t ever brag about the beach urchins (except maybe in this entry, bear with me please…). But they were great people and their beautiful young daughter / granddaughter was wonderful as Aricia! All of the actors were wonderful. (I sound like my mother trying to include all of her granddaughters whenever one of them did something special “Oh but they are all…”!)

I hope the Carriage House Theatre goes on forever. I think we need all varieties of theatrical venues from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre to the movies to Broadway to, I don’t even know, but serious community theatre groups like this one need our support. I won’t say anything more except that the force behind this group is a former YAG actor who has gone on to form a very cool theatrical organization. I am impressed. That is all.

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