Sleepy Hollow gives Lakewood Ranch a chance to connect with theater

My only venture into theater came in the first grade.

It came at the Howells School, a two-room schoolhouse in rural New York. My teacher must have liked me, too, because I landed the lead role.

I was The Frog Prince.

Now, this calls for a bit of background. Those familiar with the fairy tale might remember the title role came in two parts. One, the handsome prince. The other, the frog.

I played the frog.

That was OK, though, because I got to wear this cool papier-mâché head made by my grandmother. I'm not sure if present day art classes still use a mix of water, flour, paper and glue to come up with such a creation, but I do remember the gooey mess as my favorite part of acting.

The role also had another benefit. It was non-speaking.

So off I went, wearing green pajamas (the kind with the feet attached) and this bulbous papier-mâché head.

A packed house awaited our performance at the school, which meant about 50 people showed up. I was a bit nervous even though I didn't have to say anything, and it didn't help the princess was going to lay a kiss on my green forehead.

She puckered up, and my part was done. Everybody clapped, so I guess I was pretty good.

That was my last exposure to the theater until many years later when I took my own son to Phantom of the Opera at San Francisco's Curran Theatre in San Francisco.

Phantom was unbelievable, sending chills through my body. Geez, what had I been missing?

Those of us who have lived in areas where the theater isn't so accessible, probably never realized what we were missing. When it comes to the necessities of life, theater might rank way down there.

When it comes to pleasures, though, it can rank way up the list. If you, indeed, know what you are missing.

Those at The Players Centre for Performing Arts would like those of us in the Lakewood Ranch area to understand what we've been missing, at least those us us who don't cross Interstate 75 to the areas where theater is a part of life. Many of us here, believe it or not, come from other places. Often those are rural places, where theater isn't so highly valued as it is in Sarasota.

Since The Players is working its way toward a $30 million theater complex at Waterside Place in the new Lakewood Ranch expansion into Sarasota County, it would love to give the residents here a taste of theater.

And so is the reasoning behind an outdoors version of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," which The Players presents Friday, Oct. 27 and Saturday, Oct. 28 at the Sarasota Polo Club, 8201 Polo Club Lane. Admit it, you might have seen the movie, or even have read the book, but you probably haven't seen it acted live.

Jeffery Kin, the artistic director of The Players Centre and the Sleepy Hollow producer, said the show has stirred some interest. Each show can handle an audience of about 250 and more than 100 seats had been sold to each of the two shows a week early.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $12 for children under 15. VIP tickets, which include adult beverages, are $25.

Kin said he hopes Sleepy Hollow is a good introduction for the Players and theater in general in Lakewood Ranch. More outdoor shows are planned.

If you want to check it out, buy tickets at theplayers.org or by calling 365-2494 

Make like a Frog Prince, and jump.