What was billed as a bold reimagining of the classic tragedy “Threnody of the Willow Bride” ended in confusion, minor injuries, and one deeply traumatized stagehand, after a performance by the Royal Theatre Guild of Highmere was derailed by uncooperative weather and an irate goose.
The production, held in the town’s open-air amphitheatre, had already been plagued by what director Fenlick Dreer called “a particularly interpretive cloud system.” Attendees arrived in cloaks and optimism, clutching damp playbills and lukewarm cider. By Act II, the optimism had fled. By Act III, so had several audience members.
“We had planned for drizzle,” Dreer said, adjusting his ruined velvet cravat. “We had not, however, planned for horizontal sleet, three lightning flashes, and a goose that had, apparently, claimed the stage as its nesting ground.”
The goose in question — since dubbed “The Widow in White” by patrons — made its appearance during the heroine’s final monologue. According to witnesses, it emerged from behind a prop tombstone, honked authoritatively, and proceeded to chase three actors offstage, one of whom leapt directly into the orchestra pit shouting, “It has no fear!”
“I thought it was part of the show,” said Meryl Broost, age 72. “Very bold. Very primal. But then it bit the lighting apprentice, and I thought: ‘That’s new.’”
Despite the chaos, several critics in attendance praised the experience. One unnamed columnist called it “a shattering commentary on nature’s indifference to art and how tragedy often comes feathered.”
Director Dreer says he intends to reschedule the remaining shows for an indoor venue, ideally one with a roof and “less avian involvement.” The goose, meanwhile, remains at large. A commemorative plaque is already being considered.
No serious injuries reported, though one actor claims to have “developed a lifelong distrust of white things with wings.”