The result is a festival-like experience, where children can see a morning production of “The Jungle Book,” staged beside a treehouse deep in the woods, and adults can sip cocktails while watching a contemporary play in the town courtyard. If the work weren’t so good, it would be tempting to dismiss this ambitious endeavor as a stroke of youthful naiveté, as ephemeral, perhaps, as the theater’s mascot: a firefly. But the Alabama-born Brian Clowdus says he wants to put down roots, so let’s hope his project flourishes like the organic tomatoes and green beans that are now in season on the community’s sustainable farms. Such humble beginnings have born fruit before: 25 years ago, Georgia Shakespeare started in a tent on the grounds of Oglethorpe University; today it’s a top-notch classical theater company. Wouldn’t it be nice if Atlanta had its own nearby version of Spoleto, which started in an idyllic Umbrian village in Italy, or Jacob’s Pillow, which began as a dance retreat in the Berkshires? As director, Clowdus imparts a physical vocabulary that plays up John’s youthful pluck and Jen’s cloistered personality. A natural ham, he uses his boyish charm, expressiveness and energy to delightful comic effect. Baggett — a lovely actress – wears a more introspective mien. Jen’s birthday gift to her dead brother (“Just Like You”) and 11th-hour epiphany (“That Was My Way”) are heartbreaking. The show compares favorably to work by Atlanta’s well established intown theaters (Actor’s Express being an obvious comparison). The only difference is that it’s performed al fresco, so that the sky and the clouds become part of the drama. – Wendell Brock
