On The Big River at the Little Theatre

I sold pictures one night at the new Florence Little Theatre in Florence SC. We were selling raffle tickets for the beautiful quilt that our guild made which you can see behind us. The newly built theatre replaces the old one and is quite spectacular. 

This theatre was built in a part of Florence that is undergoing a renovation. Adjacent to the Florence Little Theatre is a spectacular Library a la Greek Revival that would fit into any street in Washington DC and Francis Marion University is building a huge theatre complex within a block as well. 

A lifetime ago my children went to the children's theatre and took classes and performed in a play with Eva Hoff a pottery buddy of mine from way back when. Eva gave me children a scholarship to the Little Theatre Children's Program and I made all the costumes for the play. I don't remember the play, but I remember the cloud costumes which had lots of cotton balls --lots and lots of cotton balls. I am sure generations of women have thought of creative use of cotton balls. Since the packages never had any instructions or warning labels, the sky was the limit. My children loved being in the play and now my daughter has her daughter in a Children Theatre group in West Virginia.

Quilts made by our guild members, Swamp Fox Quilters hung in the modern theatre lobby. These quilts were "Old Timey" patterns handed down by generations to match the Play "Big River" , the story of Huck Finn and his adventures on the Mississippi by Mark Twain and it was a musical.  I not sure what Mark Twain would have thought about turning his commentary on American Life into a musical, but one thing I am sure of, Mark Twain would not have been surprised at anything. 

We got to talk to many interesting people and charming gentlemen who were absolutely delighted to purchase the 6 for 5 ticket deal.

My Favorite personality of the night was "Kimberly" or "Mattie Jarrett" depending on what time of the day it was. Kimberly or Mattie actually made her living have multiple personalities even though her boss only paid her for one brain. Actually Kimberly is a radio personality for Quantum of Florence and you can hear her voice on Eagle 92.9 Morning Drive. She also is Kimberly at 103 X Middays.  She gave me her card and I really had a wonderful time talking to many different people and I never embarrassed my children once.

The  New Little Theatre is has exactly the same amount of seats the old theatre did. It is purposely smaller hence its name of Little. This is because Theatres are pro rated on the amount of royalties based on the amount of seats they have to pay for the use of the play rights. I also was gifted with a ticket by the Director of the Theatre - for any Swamp Fox Quilter that came to sell tickets which was his way of thanking us for taking the time and the trouble to hang the quilts for the show. The play "Big River" an adaptation of Broadway Musical was really really good, as good as any Broadway musical I ever saw in New York. The props and antique furniture came from the Thieves Gallery in Florence and the costumes were lent by the Re-enactment Civil War Women - remember I had an interest in costumes and props from way back when. Huck Finn was really incredible. The singers were beautiful including a lovely black woman classically trained who played a slave. Mark Twain loved his river, his cigar and his scoundrels. There was a pair of scoundrels so scoundrelly that they made me cringe and want to shout out, Huck watch out for those two scoundrels.

So along with a look in Middle America along the Mississippi, there was a poignant look at the realities of slavery and rendering apart of family life. I hope to go back again to the theatre.