Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local
Last night, Curio Theatre opened its 2013-2014 season with its free production of Washington Irving’s classic 19th century short story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” at the “Bowl” in Clark Park on 43rd Street and Chester Avenue. A full crowd of mostly families hunkered down on the grass as they listened to the story of Ichabod Crane (played by company member Josh Hitchens, who adapted “Sleepy Hollow” for stage) and his fateful encounter with the headless horseman.
During the 45-minute show, Hitchens and his fellow actors, Rachel Gluck as Crane’s love interest Katrina Van Tassel and Chris Braak as his rival Brom Van Brunt, moved around the simplistic set with quiet intensity as several torches and a small crackling campfire illuminated the scene. Sound effects, provided by Eli Halpern (who played The Musician), filled the atmosphere as Crane’s story unfolded.
Make sure to catch “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” at Clark Park before it closes on September 8. The remaining shows are on Saturday and Sunday, starting at 7:30 p.m.
September 8th, 2013 at 6:22 pm
This was a great performance, running about 50 minutes in length; oftentimes though, being mostly a one-actor performance, it was drowned out by the singing and drumming from Clark Park “A”, across the street.
It would have been preferable if the performance was on the opposite side of Park “B” where the drumming was not as noticeable, or to have the performance earlier in the day. Still, plenty of people came out for the free event and it was a great performance hosted by Curio.