I did get to the Lake and spent Saturday night there but I arrived pretty late - around 7 pm. Just in time to set up my tent and get back to Topeka for the plays. So I did everything I said I would but on a later sked. Missed the first few minutes of the first play - maybe 4 or 5 minutes.
The plays were great and here's a word for everyone reading this who didn't get there Saturday - you have a 2nd and even a 3rd chance and don't let those chances pass you by. Get over to Topeka next weekend (9-30-05 and 10-1-05) and see the plays. The same plays will be repeated and they were good this week and should only get better with repeated performances.
Truly I was very pleased with all of them - the writing, directing and acting was professional all the way - and well worth the trip to Topeka and the price of a ticket or two.
It's fun seeing the three of them together - all with its own take on a nudist theme - some humor to each of them - some nudity to each of them but in fact nobody should squirm or feel uneasy - the nudity is "in context", and none of the dialogue played to silly or cheap jokes about the nudity. If you want silly jokes see any prime time sitcom.
The first play about a blackout in NY I thought was pretty imaginative and a lot of fun - well written and acted and a sort of turnabout that the female character was the one coaxing a body-shy boyfriend to shed his clothes - in the midst of a blackout. Pretty cute and my favorite of the evening.
All good -I'd commend Lake Edun for the entire project start to finish and again encourage anyone reading this to get with Ernie and try to make it to either of the next two performances. The director and actors also deserve a round of thanks. The Topeka community isn't known for cutting edge theater and those who took part showed faith in the material, the maturity of the audience and had plenty at stake in these plays. In my view the whole venture was a credit to the community and the those involved.
Find a friend, get a babysitter, gas the car, be there at 8 pm for the next performance. The hall is the Topeka Performing Art Center on 8th Avenue and just off I-70 but enter on the west side - meaning park on that side if you can. It's called the "canopy entrance" but that didn't mean much to me - it's on the southwest side of TPAC. I walked wrong way around the entire building - hence a slightly late arrival.
As a side note some of the good citizens of Topeka were on hand to greet us as we arrived - in fact they were holding signs and praying for us - very thoughtful of them. Yes protestors but boy did they have it wrong. They should laid town their placards, set aside their prayers and come inside to enjoy the plays. They'd have laughed along with us, they'd have seen three views of nudism in society and in the end I feel they'd have applauded as loudly as the rest of the audience. Perhaps I overestimate their open mindedness - but I'd like to think they'd have felt differently if they'd actually seen the plays rather than succumbing to what they thought was going on inside the theater.
We know nudism is natural, wholesome, liberating - they might have gotten an inkling of those concepts if they'd just bought a ticket and joined us inside the hall. Maybe next weekend.
More later about the overnight at the Lake. Thanks to the Lake Edun Foundation and all who were involved - a very worthwhile effort that came across beautifully. So Ernie - how'd you like it?
Dick,
Glad you could make it to the plays! I did see George and Heather who also thought the plays were well done. I still have tickets for Friday night and Saturday night, but will need to send them back by tomarrow night. I thought the three plays well worth the time and effort to get to Topeka and see!