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December 24, 2021 • Volume VII, Number 13
“Joy is a meeting place of deep intentionality and of self-forgetting … the claiming of our place in the living conversation … I was here and you were here and together we made a world.”
--David Whyte (born Nov 2, 1955) is an Anglo-Irish poet. His mother was from Waterford, Ireland, and his father was a Yorkshireman. He currently lives in the Pacific Northwest.
In keeping with last week’s GNF about the bells appearing on the November Theatre Christmas tree to honor glowing reviews for It’s a Wonderful Life, the Barefoot in the Park cast will be receiving equal ornamentation. Their first review is in, and it’s a RAVE. Hand-crocheted snowflakes will begin falling on the Barefoot cast board forthwith.
Julinda Lewis writes: “A delightful romantic comedy that appears to be as much fun for actors as it is for the audience. I simply loved Joy Williams. Her carriage, her facial expressions, her delivery all work together to deliver pure, belly-laughing comedy.” With regard to veteran co-star Joe Pabst: “He is a shameless flirt and moocher; we first meet him when he knocks on the Bratters’ door so he can climb through their window to gain access to his attic apartment. Go see it to find out why; it’s well worth the trip!” Barefoot has been extended until Jan 16.
One of the great benefits of working in professional theatre is the fascinating people you’re able to meet. Consider our new friend Kurt Benjamin Smith, who plays the leading role of George Bailey in our current holiday hit, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. When not warming hearts in our historic November Theatre, he’s playing Thomas Jefferson (year-round, in fact) at historic Colonial Williamsburg. “Tom Jefferson and George Bailey come from very different places,” states Kurt. “Tom grew up in a family of relative means and enjoyed great educational opportunities. George came of age during the depression, and had to give up his dream of college. Yet both men found their greatest joy in service to others, Tom on the world stage and George in his hometown of Bedford Falls. Especially at Christmas, I feel privileged to be able to share the stories of these equally remarkable men.”
The holidays are a time for giving. As we annually ask for your continuing support, we assure you that we also are experiencing the joy of giving back. In 1975, we adopted the credo “No one will be turned away due to inability to pay.” Since then, we’ve contributed 10% of all tickets and tour performances to individuals, schools, and senior centers that otherwise could not afford to attend. Over the last 46 years, we’ve donated approximately 84,000 tickets to mainstage performances, 3,500 touring shows free-of-charge, benefitting ~1.3 million children, adults, and seniors. This year, as every year, we thank YOU for this opportunity to serve.
We received a lot of excited responses this week to the good news of SisterFund support. Pat Childress wrote, “We were very pleased to learn about SisterFund’s engagement with Virginia Rep. It seems like a promising, perfect fit.” Under the Hardy-esque heading “Return of the Critics,” Maynard Jackson emailed, “After failing to review most shows during the last six months, the Times-Dispatch surprised me by finally taking notice again of the arts. Let’s hope this Christmas miracle is a holiday harbinger of a more arts-inclusive New Year.”
Please Note: Good News Friday will not be published on Friday, Dec 31, due to the Christmas and New Year holiday. We’ll be back with Volume VII, Number 14 on Friday, Jan 7. Until then, Happy Holidays and a joyful New Year one and all!
We encourage your comments, corrections and feedback. Please email your thoughts to mhaber@virginiarep.org.
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