"Cityceased"

I attended a performance of Kris Lencowski's "Cityceased" Sept. 29 at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis. When I first heard about it, I thought, "A play? In a cemetery? I must go!" It was everything I had hoped for. The premise: Characters, who've recently died, find themselves at Lakewood in the world of the dead. It's a funny world, a tender world, a sad world.

The sights, the sounds (live music), the wind blowing through the trees and the headstones as backdrop combined to create a perfect atmosphere. It was an ideal fall evening -- warm and overcast. As I traipsed on the blacktop roads, dutifully following guides clad in black carrying lanterns, I thought I might not ever go to a play indoors again.

Big thanks to Ron at Lakewood to allow a play to be staged there. Let's hope the door is now open to other performances that respectfully honor the environment.

With people laughing and musicians playing, I couldn't help but to think Lakewood's dead appreciated the company and the energy of the living.

Kris was nice enough to let me take pictures, so here are a couple.