Rappahannock artists present play in Washington, D.C.
By Barbara Adolfi
Seven-year-old Amanda Puskar, whose fame as an actress birthed at the School House (now The LINK), and Rappahannock residents Charlene James-Duguid (writer and director), Heather Puskar (set designer), Marie Scavetti (costume designer) and Joyce Abell (artistic consultant) are part of the Fine Wine company that will present a one-hour play, “Funny Propositions: Smashing Reality. “ It will be performed during the Capital Fringe event on July 12, 16 and 20 at the Goethe Institute, 7th and H Streets, N.W., in Washington, D.C.
This one hour comedy takes pot shots at the mind-bending, cyberspace obsession with computers and predicts a time when only e-commerce is allowed and mall shopping is a criminal offense. The actors will show you the marvelous powers that loneliness can generate; and finally, question the reality of marriage.
Amanda Puskar plays a harlequin who ties the entire wacky show together, a kind of touch on innocence in a bizarre world. In the surrealist tradition of Dada artists, the costumes created by Marie Scavetti are wearable art that try to suggest the inner thoughts and feelings of the actors who perform while wearing their psyches on their sleeves. She hopes to make them available for purchase as a line of wearable art.
Heather Puskar has created all the props, from giant sized spam boxes and huge computer screens to banners that suggest the unreality that the audience will see. The Capital Fringe is performed in 60 locations by about 140 theatre companies throughout Washington, D.C from July 10 through the 28th. Its Web site is:
www.capitalfringe.org
We look forward to new creative activities in Rappahannock by Char and her talented team in the near future.
'Growing Farmer' meeting
The Virginia Organic Producers’ & Consumers Association (VOPCA) sponsored the Growing Farmer Town Hall Meeting at The Link in Sperryville on June 24.
This exciting meeting brought together 70 people from Rappahannock and surrounding counties to discuss the increased need for farmers. This need is a direct result of the pressure for more food to come from the local farming community direct to the consumer (families, restaurants, grocers, caterers, etc.). If this consumer need continues to grow, there is an incredible opportunity to revive the farming community, but there are challenges such as lack of affordable farm land and/or accessible land for lease. Conservation easement organizations, farmers, farm interns, landowners and interested citizens talked candidly about these challenges. The Virginia Organic Producers' & Consumers' Association organizes workshops for the community that address these and other farming and consumer needs. The next community workshop will take place in September and ideas from the community as to what that focus should be are welcome and anticipated. Please contact the VOPCA at info@vopca.org or call 540.364.0065. The web site is www.vopca.org
In Memoriam
“Take this sorrow to thy heart, and make it a part of thee, and it shall nourish thee until thou art strong again.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Grover “Buddy” Darden is a man whose kindness, generosity and wit won the heart and affection of all who knew him. His untimely death on May 13, 2008, has left a void in our community. We cherish his memory.
4th of July celebration
The Sperryville Volunteer Fire Department is to be commended, in advance, for providing a safe, local venue for the community to gather to celebrate this holiday. Most residents will need less than a gallon of gas to enjoy one of the most spectacular fireworks displays in the region and the opportunity to visit with our friends and neighbors. Thanks to all the members of the fire department, the auxiliary and the community who will make this event possible.