Here’s the deal: if you haven’t gotten to Crooked Rivers State Park in the past two weekends to see “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three,” then you are lucky. Lucky, because you still have four more opportunities to see this unique theatrical performance. By the time you read this, if you have not procured some ducats, set aside the time on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, and made plans to attend, you could be oh so close to unlucky.
Why, you say, is it unique? Well, let me count the ways. How often do you think you will see local ministers, of churches black and white, appearing on stage together, both gaining laughs and tears from the same audience? How likely is it that you will see grown men willingly get doused with buckets of water in order to get a laugh and tell a story? And, what do you think the chances are that you would see, in any other circumstances, a former first lady of Kingsland get really big laughs while taking comedic shots at her husband, the former mayor of Kingsland? And what do you imagine the odds would be, in any other arena, for a well-known local Presbyterian minister to be the subject of punch lines, delivered by a cute five-year-old to a tall, robed black man, that is playing the role of this white preacher?
Those are but a few of the unique, and palpably tasty, moments you will miss if you don’t get to “Sisters Three” this weekend. However, if you choose not to attend, for whatever reason, you will also miss much more. Your soul will never appreciate the infinite wisdom of Carol Ann and Bernice, whose stories provide a backdrop for the social and personal growth of our community. Your eyes will never witness the poignancy of a Japanese woman’s story about coming to Camden County after WWII, artistically accompanied by the movement and mystery of a Japanese puppet. And you will never understand the reasons why black grandmas of the early 20th century in Camden County had such hard hands.
On Saturday, after some friends had joined my spouse and I for the show, we talked briefly with some cast members after the show concluded. During those conversations, I heard a cast member share the best reason for you to see “Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three.” She said: “When this all started, most of us didn’t know each other. Now, we are all part of a family.” When audiences leave Crooked River State Park after “Sisters Three,” they sense they belong to an important social order that did not exist prior to their attendance. They saw, with their own eyes, friends, neighbors, church members and folks who were once strangers joined in a common cause to make our community better. By calling out the history of our community, by sharing the good, wrong, the humorous and the tragic, “Sisters Three” will not allow us to remain at a distance. Now, we are a combined force – a family, full of promise, energy and memories – ready to take whatever steps are next for us to take.
Get “Crooked Rivers” tickets by calling (912) 729-3154 or go to the St. Marys Welcome Center, The Blue Goose, Once Upon a Book Seller, and Sheila’s Hallmark. You can also get them at the gate at Crooked River State Park on the day of performance.
Camden Area Players have postponed indefinitely their May presentation of “Harvey.” Watch for the invisible, six-foot tall rabbit later this year. (Can you really watch for an invisible rabbit?)
Opportunities for this week and the future: Lisa Allen’s Dance Works will celebrate its 10th Annual Showcase and present “Time Warp,” a showcase of dance, music and lights, in the CCHS Auditorium on Saturday (May 27) at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Call Lisa Allen's Dance Works at 912-673-9161 for tickets and information; sign up children ages 8-14 for theatre summer camp now, Camden Summer Theatre at the CCHS Auditorium, May 23 – June 16, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. weekdays, call 912-729-7463 for registration information.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
5.3.06
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