Photos by Dion Ogust
Audiences attending VOICETheatre performances of Our Country’s Good have been among the first to enjoy Woodstock’s newly air conditioned Byrdcliffe Theater, which was renovated this spring, thanks to private donations. The addition of heat, a/c, and insulation will enable companies to mount more shows at the historic venue, since it will be usable in three seasons instead of just the summer.
VOICETheatre’s founder and artistic director, Shauna Kanter, remarked, “This change is big for us.” Since it was recently pushed out of its digs in New York City, where cutting-edge theater is increasingly difficult to produce, the company is making Byrdcliffe its base.
Our Country’s Good, written by Timberlake Wertenbaker and directed by Kanter, is based on a Thomas Keneally novel about a play performed by prisoners in one of the first penal colonies in Australia. The final performances are Thursday, July 23, through Saturday, July 25, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 26, at 2 p.m. Tickets: $25; seniors & students $20. Reservations: 845-679-0154
Upcoming Byrdcliffe Theater shows in August include a performance ritual by Secret City on August 2 at noon, on the theme of “camp” (see http://thesecretcity.org). Choreography on the Edge will present experimental work by local choreographers and dancers, Friday, August 8, and Saturday, August 9, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, August 10, at 3 p.m., with tickets priced at $12.
The Byrdcliffe Theater is at 380 Upper Byrdcliffe Road, Woodstock, off Glasco Turnpike.