From the Mississippi to the Delaware, from Canada to the Catskills—a river runs through it

Lady Luck and Mother Nature must have conferred this week and decided to give the Catskills a break. It is comforting to know that despite dire predictions of thunder and lightening, flash floods and hail... somehow the old girls know that we river folk are hardy stock and the show must, and will, go on.

How appropriate that the Forestburgh Playhouse (in conjunction with RiverFest?) decided that ‘Showboat’ would fit nicely into the season. Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II joined forces to create the memorable tribute to life on the Mississippi and director Sarah Norris “took the helm” and produced a lovely production, replete with a book and score that has stood the test of time.

“Ol’ Man River,” “Make Believe” and “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” are but a few of the songs that have become a part of American theater history and the company, as a whole, delivered a solid production. Gerry Butler, Jessica Wagner, Natalie Wachen, Dan Petrotta and Kate Schwartz, along with Lori James and Galyana Castillo, lend their considerable talents to the ultra-powerful performance of Jay Pierce as they sing and dance their way through the ups and downs of life on the big river during the late 1800s. Well worth the price of admission, “Showboat” runs through August 2.

Mother Nature continued to cooperate and allowed the sun to shine in Eldred on Saturday, as the North American Cultural Laboratory presented the Ottowa Union Stilt Company’s production of “The Girl Who Was Eaten by the Dark,” sponsored in part by Lou Monteleone and the folks at the Eldred Preserve.

Presented outdoors and free to the public, this marks the third season for the company and the imaginative show, conceived and directed by Laura Astwood, was ( in my humble opinion) “magically delicious.” The company, comprised of 10 performers, amazed the audience not only with their prowess at towering over the audience, teetering about—but telling the story to children and adults in a compelling, colorful and fantastical fashion.

Cool sound effects, inspired costuming and a unique, larger-than-life perspective on storytelling—what could possibly be more wholesome or natural?

“Our chief interest is in performing outdoors, in a natural setting,” creator Astwood said. She went on to explain that “this particular production was intentionally geared toward children, and we are delighted to be in the region, sharing the wonders of what we do with the natural wonders of the Catskills.”

The performers, in full regalia, paraded through the streets of Narrowsburg during RiverFest on Sunday, adding to the festive atmosphere of the popular street festival. To learn more about Ottowa Stilt Union, visit www.ottowastiltunion.ca or their host’s online information at www.nacl.org.

After RiverFest, I made my way (during a gentle, misty rainfall) to Liberty, to catch Claire Chaffe’s “Why We Have A Body,” part of the ongoing First Hearings Series at Paul Austin’s Liberty Free Theatre, located at 109 South Main Street in (you guessed it) Liberty, NY.

Always entertaining and thought provoking, this series continues to deliver, and Dana Priebe, Rilla Askew, Dorothy Hartz and Janna Comando approached the brilliantly written play with an understanding of the material that amused, inspired and intrigued the appreciative audience.

Coming up: “La Boheme” at the Delaware Valley Opera in conjunction with a modern retelling of the Puccini classic at Forestburgh with its production of “Rent,” along with a reading of Nightboat Books authors Douglas A Martin, Lytton Smith and Darcey Steinke at Hamish & Henry Booksellers, on Saturday, August 1 in Livingston Manor.

Just in case Mother Nature and Lady Luck don’t see eye to eye this weekend, don’t let a little rain keep you from going out and soaking up the culture that abounds...sometimes, the weather is part of the show.

Visit Jonathan Fox’s blog at www.workingwithoutanet.blogspot.com.