It was a hike. It was a play. It was Theater in the Woods, and it happens every summer just down the street from our house. I'm almost embarrassed to say that this was the first time we went.
The production this year is Twelfth Night, and before you get too excited about it, I should warn you: it's sold out. But you can put it on your calendar for next year to get tickets early for this unique and fabulous Bay Area theater experience.
We started out at a gathering point, a sunny spot in the woods, where Sebastian and Antonio shared a scene, and where we met the lovely Viola. Then we followed the characters through a narrow trail that wound it's way down into a gulch, and stopped below at a little stage in another, shadier clearing. The play continued to move, and the audience followed deeper into the forest to a second, more magical stage constructed across a babbling creek from a little amphitheater carved out of the earth. The play continued, and characters played cruel jests, hid their true identities, fell in love with twins, and generally made a delightful performance.
As we followed the play along the trails, I overheard one woman say, "This is like the road we drove here, in miniature." She was right, as tight and curvy as the hiking trail was, the road to the Theater in the Woods is a similarly fun adventure for drivers. Bear Gulch West, just off of Skyline between Highways 84 and 92, is a one-lane affair twisting through some of the thickest parts of the forest on Kings Mountain.
I spoke to our usher/hike guide, and he explained that several years ago the owner of the land was in an acting class in San Francisco with a bunch of folks, and that they had the brainstorm of putting on a play there in the woods. What an excellent idea, and well executed, I might add. I can't wait to see what they put on next year!
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