A Night at the Theater

Dear Diary,

My annual night at the Barnstormers Theater in Tamworth, New Hampshire last night.  I usually try to see the Agatha Christie play, if they do one.  Last night is was the stage adaptation of the book, The Hollow.  Having been a HUGE Christie fan for years, I have every one of her 80+ novels in my library, it is always interesting to see how she adapted her books for the stage.  On my trip to England 25 years ago I got to see The Mousetrap in London at the St. Martin's theater...it is still playing at the same theater.  In its 61st year, it is the longest running play in history with more than 25,000 performances.

This is the play bill at the theater.  They have local artists paint them and then auction them off at the end of the year to help support the theater.  This is the 85th season at the Barnstormers, a theater started by Francis Grover Cleveland, the son of the former President who summered in Tamworth.  It is the oldest summer theater in New Hampshire and one of the first in the country.  I can't image a summer without at least one night at the Barnstormers!  The theater gets its name from its early years when the troupe of actors would go from town to town and perform in halls and barns.  Now they have a beautiful little theater that serves lemonade and home-made chocolate chip cookies at intermission.

We all have traditions...things we like to do each year.  This Sunday a dear friend will make her annual visit and we will have our annual lunch on the waterfront in Portland.  That is a tradition I am really looking forward to!