Those whose lives could benefit from an hour of beauty, thought and song will find all three, beautifully presented, in Lake View Cemetery through Sunday at the performances there of the Spoon River Project.
Many of us have studied in school, the collection of poems called ''The Spoon River Anthology.'' That is a collection of poems which describe the lives of the residents of a small Illinois town, about 150 years ago.
Director Tom Andolora has made a selection of about one hour's worth of poems from the anthology and staged them by torchlight in the cemetery, to suit their nature. Each poem represents one of the buried citizens, who now can look back on his life and those of others without fear, nor competition, nor any of the things which can warp our understanding.
They are presented as though they are epitaphs, telling us clearly the things which made these people proud, the things which unfairly afflicted them, the things they now regret having done.
Although the words are poetic, and beautifully expressive, they are not sappy, greeting card words. There are couples who lived their lives in joy and businessmen who found their wealth and success of little use, when all was said and done. Chances are good you'll recognize yourself and many others whom you know, among their numbers.
There are occasional references to Heaven, but these people are talking about where they've been, not where they are now. The flaming torches and soft lantern light draws us more closely than the powerful stage lights, and it is a truly beautiful experience.
Actors are Skip Anderson, Emily Blackwood, Mary Hoover, Adam Hughes, Mike Nichols, Daniel Pierce, Merle Szydlo, Robert John Terreberry, Ralph Walton, Karen Waterman and Kristy Woodfield. All were strong and talented performers, and each portrayed several different characters.
Musicians are Eric Grundstrom, Adam McKillip, and Carol Svenson. The costumes - and aren't they enhancing to both young and mature - are by Ann Thorpe. Lighting and sound are by John Fuchs.
The event is sponsored by the Fenton History Center, the Lake View Cemetery Association, in association with Robert John Terreberry. The Marvin House is selling refreshments before each performance, and the Fenton History Center is conducting tours of our own community's cemetery, before they begin with Spoon River.
The tours begin at 8:30 p.m. and the performance at 9:30 p.m. It was truly a beautiful experience.