My friend Karen and I saw two productions of the Jackalope Theater Company in 2017 at the Broadway Armory Park Fieldhouse (formerly the home of the local National Guard), which is an interesting place to see a play. In addition to the small, spartan theater, the fieldhouse has volleyball, yoga, gymnastics, tae kwon do, dance, badminton, and basketball, among other activities.

The first time we went, Karen wore heels. A mistake she decided. Though we parked in the tiny lot adjoining the armory, it’s a hike from the front door to the second floor rear theater, because of which your ticket confirmation email actually tells you to allow enough extra time to get to your seats. Theater volunteers position themselves along the way to guide you in case you didn’t bring a map and bread crumbs.

We saw Ideation in June 2017. It’s an interesting psychological examination involving unknown factors and peer pressure impacting a seemingly unthinkable situation. Very thought provoking.

In December we went back for 1980 (Or Why I’m Voting for John Anderson).  I voted for John Anderson in 1980. To quote Steve McQueen in The Magnificent Seven, “It seemed like a good idea at the time.” So I felt compelled to see the play.

We almost were late for the play as we stopped to watch a young woman work up the energy or nerve to grab a bar and leap into the indoor sky from a platform. Did I forget to mention that the fieldhouse also has a trapeze school? Not your typical theatrical venue.

The play was okay. The highlight for me was the performance of one of the actresses, who transformed her body language through the course of the show from an innocent, scared young lady to a seasoned, confident woman as her character developed.

Reviews for Franklinland, now playing at the theater, look good.  So I expect to be going back soon, in anticipation of which I’ve started working out.