Date Night at the Theater

Another date night??? Yes! When the girls got an invitation to a sleepover birthday party I called Grandma to see if she would like Eli's company so Matthew and I could go out. Eli did not protest the arrangement! And, the girls had a blast at their slumber party, so I don't feel guilty!

We started our evening together with dinner. Have you tried the Outskirts restaurant in Macomb yet? We heard the food was good, so we were anxious to try it ourselves. I admit, though, it was unusual walking through the doors without three little ones anxious to lace up their roller skates!

This is what I can say about the Outskirts. The atmosphere is fun. The staff is great. The menu selection is unique. The food is beyond delicious. The serving sizes are perfect! And the prices are reasonable. So, four thumbs up from us! 

After dinner we saw a play. I love live theater. If I lived in the city I would be checking out the dinner theaters, school productions, acting troupes. A few years ago we learned about Macomb Community Theatre. Yes, Macomb has a community theater, and they put on four productions a year!!! Little known secret! 

This evening's production was "The Curious Savage."

THE STORY: Mrs. Savage has been left ten million dollars by her husband and wants to make the best use of it, in spite of the efforts of her grown-up stepchildren to get their hands on it. These latter, knowing that the widow's wealth is now in negotiable securities, and seeing they cannot get hold of it, commit her to a "sanatorium" hoping to "bring her to her senses." But Mrs. Savage is determined to establish a fund to help others realize their hopes and dreams. In the sanatorium she meets various social misfits, men and women who just cannot adjust themselves to life, people who need the help Mrs. Savage can provide. In getting to know them, she realizes that she will find happiness with them and plans to spend the rest of her life as one of them. But when the doctor tells her there is no reason why she should remain, she hesitates to go out into a hard world where people seem ready to do anything for money. The self-seeking stepchildren are driven to distraction by their vain efforts to browbeat Mrs. Savage, but she preserves her equanimity and leads them on a merry chase. At last her friends conspire to get rid of her stepchildren, and through their simple belief in the justice of her cause, they enable Mrs. Savage to carry out her plans. The last scene, a farewell party, is a delightful fantasy where each "guest" in the sanatorium realizes at last some hopeless dream for something he was never able to realize. The dominant mood is high comedy, and the audience is left with a feeling that the neglected virtues of kindness and affection have not been entirely lost in a world that seems motivated at times only by greed and dishonesty.

From the description, you would think you were attending a comedy. And, you would be correct. But this was a well-written script that adding warmth and enlightenment and truth to the comical elements. And the ending -- I love it -- leaves you saying, "Wow!" 

One of my favorite quotes came from the main character, Ethel.

"People say I love you all the time - when they say, ‘take an umbrella, it’s raining,’ or ‘hurry back,’ or even ‘watch out, you’ll break your neck.’ There are hundreds of ways of wording it - you just have to listen for it, my dear." 

There was so much truth and understanding embedded in this comedy. 
Kudos to a great cast for a wonderful production!