Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1241553
5 A Gathering Place Awaits– Mountain Play 2020 Sunday, May 3, 2020 Marin's free online resource for the arts www.marinarts.org For one hundred and six years the Mountain Play has provided something unique: theatre on a mountaintop enjoyed by an audience made up of thousands of individuals. Whether they hiked in a mile from the train stop or drove up in their Tesla, these special people make an extra effort to gather in the amphithe- atre and experience the spectacular nature of this event – an exciting musi- cal performance combined with the beautiful outdoor environment. Events like this exist now mostly as concerts or festival-going experiences, but the Moun- tain Play provides Marin and the greater Bay Area with theatre in a space much like that of theatre's Greek origins. Western theatre has its roots in ancient Greece where thousands gathered together to hear stories with classic morals, to learn about the rules of living in their society, and about how they could function together as a people. But, these lessons didn't come only from what was seen or heard onstage. It came from th e a udie nc e p ar ti ci pa ti ng , too. e shared experience of those thousands and the empathy learned in those mo me nt s b ui lt an d s tr en gt h- ened society. Live theatre is still about being in the space in that mo me nt an d e xp er ien cin g together the creation of art that will only happen once. is audience and these per- formers will only be together for these precious, exact mo- ments. When you attend a Mountain Play performance you are getting closer to those origins of theatre that brought society together. Sadly, this year our annual tradition isn't happening. It's one of the very few times we haven't had a show in the amphitheatre since 1913. Wh il e w e a ll co nt em pl at e the impact of shelter-in- place orders, some changes like not being able to work or go to sc ho ol ar e o bv io us yet other simpler things are also absent. You miss grab- bing coffee with a friend or a quick hug greeting with someone you're excited to see. For the artists and lovers of theatre, there is a change in something even bigger. We miss the feeling of being a part of a full audience and experiencing a show to- gether. at magic of expe- riencing the one-of-a-kind creation on stage and shared with others just cannot be replaced over our laptops and phones. Right now, while we all may appreciate the gi of virtually gathering th at te ch no log y c an pro vi de , we miss each other in reality. Humans have been gath- ering together for thousands of ye ar s t o e nj oy th ea tr e f or a reason. We look forward to the Mount Tamalpais greek-style amphitheatre being filled in the spring of 2021 with all of us regaining the opportunity to experi- ence live theatre together – our magically great outdoor theatre adventure. e last words of e Matchmaker upon which Hello, Dolly! is based include these words- "e test of an adven- ture is that when you're in the middle of it, you say to yourself, Oh, now I've gotten myself into an awful mess; I wish I were sitting quietly at home. [...] What we would like for you is that you have just the right amount of sit- ting quietly at home, and just the right amount of— adventure!" Here's to your adventure in outdoor theatre and be- yond! Stay safe and we'll see you soon. We Will Meet Again – A Great Outdoor Theatre Adventure