The steampunk culture, set in a retro-futurist Victorian style ideal, will bring anachronistic decorum and formality to Roswell’s historic Barrington Hall plantation home this weekend. The North Fulton Drama Club (NFDC) will be performing a steampunk version of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, which opens on Friday night (tonight!) at 8 p.m. (more or less at dusk). (Seating starts at 7 p.m. Admission is FREE, but a $5 donation is suggested. Tables be may reserved in advance for a fee and seat up to six people.)
The FREE main event “Steampunk Saturday” will be held on Saturday, April 28 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. (If you need a breakdown of what steampunk is or what to expect at this event, please check out this article about STEAM Fest that Atlanta’s own Artifice Club, a social club for steampunk enthusiasts, held on April 14-15 at the Academy Theatre in Avondale Estates.) Throughout the day, there will be music, performance art, and multimedia exhibits and visuals. Vendors will sell food and steampunk-related merchandise and accessories.
Exhibitors for “Steampunk Saturday” include Penny Dreadful Productions, Apparition Abolishers, Daniel Valdez’s Steampunk Professor X and Company, Paige G. Smith, Dim Horizon Studios, Meghan Maude, and many more. Live music will be performed throughout the day by Vauxhall Garden Variety Players, Ghosts Project, and Valentine Wolfe. The North Fulton Drama Club troupe will be entertaining audiences with their steam-powered version of The Tempest at 8 p.m.
If you can’t make it out to one of this weekend’s performances of The Tempest, then don’t fret because it will be performed at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturdays nights through May 12, with a Sunday matinee on May 6 at 4 p.m. Seating for shows will begin one hour before the play. A $5 donation is suggested, but general admission is free. Tables for up to six people may be reserved in advance for a fee.)
Since 2006, NFDC has produced 12 Shakespeare plays, all of which have been performed outside at Barrington Hall with various twists and adaptations on traditional Shakespeare theatre. Previous plays have included a 1950’s era version of The Taming of the Shrew. For their spring 2012 show of The Tempest, non-profit NFDC started a Kickstarter campaign to raise additional funds for better lights and sound equipment, and possibly for the intricate steampunk costumes and props that they might use during the play. The initial goal was set at $2,500, but fans and supporters were so excited about the play that NFDC received a total of $4,535 in donations. (Kickstarter.com is a funding platform for creative projects. Donors will typically receive some type of acknowledge or gift in return for their pledge.)
So, go see what all the fuss is about – go see North Fulton Drama Club perform The Tempest at Barrington Hall if you are looking to experience culture under the stars – plus, it’d make a great inexpensive date night too!
Barrington Hall
535 Barrington Drive
Roswell, GA 30075
(770) 640-3855
