Monday, July 02, 2007

WHAT's Selected Shorts a Winner!

Wellfleet has a marvelous new theater. I know, I know. This information is, by now, common knowledge. But today I can attest to its magnificence since I attended Selected Shorts, a presentation of symphonyspace, sponsored by the Cape and Islands NPR Stations and hosted by Isaiah Sheffer. The Julie Harris Stage, which seats 200, has a cozy, intimate feel. The sound was perfect, the seats soft and inviting. After a short introduction by Mr. Sheffer, actress Laura Esterman captivated the audience with her reading of Pamela Painter’s short story “Custody.” Her performance was followed by “to mock the years” by Wellfleet writer Arturo Vivante, read by Jeff Zinn. Both Ms. Painter and Mr. Vivante were present and took bows. Following intermission, Isaiah Sheffer conducted an impromptu sing-the-rest-of-that-tune sing-a-long with the audience, prior to reading Michael Cunningham’s excellent “White Angel.” As the theatergoers filed out I could tell from their smiles that everyone had enjoyed the show. The evening benefit for WHAT will be repeated tomorrow, July 3.