I decided to use this column, this week, as an opportunity to share with you something that is simply wonderful.
Several years ago, on the suggestion of my good friend and this paper’s co-publisher Gary Hass, Lorna and I ventured out onto the “roads less traveled” to visit the little town of Adamant right here in Central Vermont. There we found something that is truly a Vermont treasure.
At the very end of a winding dirt road in Adamant you suddenly come upon a beautiful small quarry, the mirror-like pond that it has formed over the years, and a few very well-kept, diminutive buildings at the quarry’s edge. This is Quarryworks, and the Phillips Experimental Theater. There are benches and chairs there at the edge of the water and it is always suggested that ‘next time’ you visit you should come early and bring snacks or a picnic to enjoy.
Quarryworks is a scenic spot, indeed, nestled there in the woods, but it is much more than that. It is a place where you can enjoy a truly professionally acted play or other scheduled performance. Did I mention that it’s all free? That’s right. There is absolutely no charge, ever, to enjoy any Quarryworks production. That’s the magic of the Phillips Experimental Theater; You get a wonderful evening, brought to you free of charge.
Just before showtime you enter the small theater, where you are greeted by a handwritten note at your seat, from one of the actors or production people. Then you are soon treated to a time of superior acting. Every serious or comedic line is skillfully presented. You soon feel you are experiencing something more akin to Broadway than local theater. Afterward the actors all line up to greet you as you leave and thank YOU for coming. It is just a truly exceptional experience!
So far this season Lorna and I have seen the famous musical “Call Me Madam,” written by Irving Berlin, and the classic production “On Golden Pond.” This fall we intend to attend a spooky play there, titled “The Wolves of the Whispering Woods.”
We’d love to see you at Quarryworks at 743 Quarry Road in Adamant.
Just go to their website: fsmac-quarryworks.org. or call 802-229-6978 to reserve your tickets. The place is simply magic; the shows are phenomenal!