Each month leading up to the 2013 Festival, we will ask a different DSF audience member to share why they love DSF.
We know different people come to the Festival for different reasons, so we are expecting each answer to be unique.
Doug Doerfler – Kennett Square, PA
My first visit to DSF was in year two for As You Like It, and indeed – I did like it. As I walked across the grounds of Archmere, I first thought the planes passing overhead would serve as a distraction but was pleasantly surprised as they were quickly phased out by the soft lighting, the wind in the trees, crickets chirping, attentive audience, and a cast of wonderfully talented actors to whom I was close enough to feel part of the play. I sensed an intimacy I hadn’t always felt in a theater setting and I remember thinking, “I hope I can do this every year!”
And I have. Through the move to Rockwood, the various comedies, dramas, casts and crews, rain, sun, heat and humidity, and more heat and humidity, I have made it a priority each year to support DSF. Although Mother Nature is not always as welcome a guest as we’d like, she has contributed to the setting so often. My favorite DSF moment ever was when the storm rolled in on the Opening Night of Richard III. It was definitely a summer night of our discontent, but as the ominous clouds moved in as the production went on, it set the tone perfectly. Ultimately the show was canceled because of the weather, but the fact that half a performance stands out in my mind as my favorite moment tells you what is special about DSF – all the uncertainties that outdoor venues may present at times become crucial additions to the scenery, the mood and the emotion.
For 10 years I’ve been coming to DSF. I’ve brought my kids, my friends, my new wife, and we’ve spread the word the best we could. And every year it continues not just to be the wonderful acting, the setting, the affordability, the fun, the directing and the artistic flair of each production. DSF is an EXPERIENCE.
See you on July 12!
OTHER ENTRIES
“Why I Love DSF”: Maureen McCaffery (May 2013)
“Why I Love DSF”: Lourdes Puig and Alicia Bonilla-Puig (April 2013)
“Why I Love DSF”: Matt Sullivan (March 2013)
“Why I Love DSF”: Carol VanZoeren (January 2013)
“Why I Love DSF”: Deborah Yutzy (December 2012)
