Lucia Neare’s Theatrical Wonders

I’ve been hearing rumors of Lucia Neare’s «Lullaby Moon» productions for a couple of years now from enthusiatic followers. Last month I finally discovered why they were so enthralled, when I attended the performance September 10^th at Gas Works Park. My cousin passed along an event invitation through Facebook, and I followed the link to Lucia Neare’s website to learn a little more. She encourages the audience members to join in the creation of each «happening» and dress in white. Yay! How could I resist a chance to indulge my inner child’s desire to dress up?
Thank goodness for my little sister and her thespian friend who were happy to join in the adventure. A playful and magical event such as this is tremendously more enjoyable and moving when you’re willing to suspend humdrum reality and take on a part in the play.
Be warned — the Lullaby Moon performance drew far more people than I would have imagined. Parking near Gas Works on a Friday evening was a greater challenge than the average weekend outing to Seattle. When we’d hiked about 12 blocks from the car and saw the crowd gathered on Gas Works main hill… it was a little intimidating. However, the performance site was extremely well chosen to accomodate a good view for almost everyone (especially those wise folks who’d come early and set up a blanket in front). Comfy footwear is a good choice for those of us who show up just in time or slightly late. The show was about 2 hours long, and it would have been painful to stand on the hillside that whole time in anything heeled.
The production itself was pure magic… it felt like a traditional bedtime story come to life. About 60 performers in all were involved in various scenes throughout the evening, accompanied by a full orchestra, jazz singer and a dancing brass section. Their costumes followed a white theme, (including some Victorian tailcoat ensembles) with wonderful oversized masks portraying cats, horses, mice, owls, clocks and a swan. The clocks were especially enchanting — with faces surrounding the performers that looked about 2 feet in diameter and were lit from within.
While there didn’t seem to be any particular storyline, a range of musical numbers offering tribute to the magical, quiet, peaceful qualities of the night and it’s gaurdian moon flowed seamlessly with the advance of full dark. Various groups of performers came and went on the small meadow at the foot of Gas Works park’s sentinal hill, executing dances that reminded me strongly of Morris dancing or those formal Victorian numbers you see in period movies.
Lucia Neare used the setting to full effect — with several waterbourne elements entering the production. My sister and I especially loved the Victorian-​style boat-​drawn «bed» with two performers having an enthusiastic pillow-​fight on board. Lake Washington and the reflected city lights of downtown Seattle twinkled behind the performers like firefles on the edge of a summer field.
The closing procession of star-​bearers proceeding their swan queen and her final operatic aria «Song to the Moon» from Rusalka by Antonin Dvorak carried my heart away. Thank-​you to everyone who provided this magical evening for us!

A celebration of the night sky!
You have to love it. the sky. and the beauty it brings to really love this interactive community art involvement participatory event.
You have to love it and not have feelings that it is too long… the sky is immense. the night will always be long
one can never see it all or watch all the stars.
I was invited happily to get into a lovely comfortable bed. and lay watching stars open; a couple planes overhead; children ran around, laughing and squealing; my bedmates changed from an adult who is involved with this to different children — one hiding from the angels another happy so happy.
I was asked by the horses” ar ewyou wishing on the stars?” I was so entranced by the entire night I replied,” I am so busy feeling happy!“
It is not everything for everyone. Nothing is.
It is a happy event inspiring and inspired by nature, our wonderful city and creative minds who are willign to put themselves out there to create happiness in a way which may touch one’s lives.
My life changed yesterday and this event was icing on one of the best days of my life.

The performance we saw is described as such:
Lullaby Moon is a year-​long invitation to Seattle to explore a world of dream. A celebration of the night sky, the series of performance events brings bedtime whimsy and wonder to parks and other public spaces throughout the city, enlivening and enlightening the dark time of each month. Performances take place on each new moon for an entire lunar year beginning in October 2008.
Lullaby Moon Schedule
December 27, 2008, January 26, 2009, February 25, 2009, March 26, 2009, April 25, 2009, May 24, 2009, June 22, 2009, July 22, 2009, Aug 20, 2009, September 18, 19, 2009
Less magical would be my review… don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the concept and really think everyone who might be interested in dance and vocal performance should go.
That said, I’m always annoyed in crowded public spaces where clueless people decide to sit right in front of you at the last moment even though you’ve been holding your spot for half an hour. Then there were the utterly clueless people who just talked loudly completely ignoring the fact that a performance was going on within feet of them. But what do you expect at sunset on a public beach where people have been camped out all day drinking beers and goofing around?
The performance itself was intriguing but painfully slow. So slow that I kept thinking I was missing something but I wasn’t. The costumes and overall theme is fantastic and the use of the environment is great.
Chris and I both decided that the best way to attend one of these performance is by happenstance. If you were sailing your boat by or just happened to be taking a late night stroll at Greenlake and came across this magical spectacle, then it would be something really extraordinary.
I don’t regret going at all. I’m really glad I saw it and might even go again, but I’d be a little more prepared. Plus we might even stay until the end next time.