recycled, yet original...

the cool evening air breezed through the gaps in our woolen sleeves as we peddled along the roadside... as we pulled up to the recycling yard, the ticket hut stuck out amongst the stacks of broken down cardboard -- childishly scrawled across the front, the words "box office" were its only giveaway... with our ticket stubs handed over, we parked our bikes between the sea of deceased packaging and approached a rack of miner's hats, complete with small flashlights above the brims...

a quick flip through our programs and we began to wind through a man-made tunnel of cardboard and discarded halloween masks, en route to the stage... a steel pot of hot punch was displayed on centre stage, with cups waiting... our early arrival thankfully snagged us the end of a trashed bench from an old automobile... a member of the stage crew threw us a blanket and after watching each of the crowd members pack in and pour their punch, the show began...

each set was constructed of surrounding piles of recycled memories... each costume created out of second-hand clothing littered with dirt and heavily worn... the production was simple, bare-boned and filled with technique and raw talent... transitions were seemingly flawless on a stage based in dirt and shredded paper... by mid-play we were covered with confetti from an enthusiastic carnaval scene... nearing the end of the tale, i'd caught the bouquet during the faux wedding -- much to my love's hilarious vocal dismay... a lone performer at stage left pounded on drums and softly strummed a guitar, setting the soundtrack for a beautifully unique and authentic "theatre" experience... each actor conveyed a range of emotion, leaving the crowd at times quiet, at times laughing and altogether entertained...

by the end, the sun still clung to the midnight sky... and we peddled home with an openly expressed sense of satisfaction...