This is an engaging production by a fledgling theater. The drive to Serenbe is especially well rewarded by the performance of Scears Lee IV, a Newnan native, who plays Juliet with fervor and cunning; this young actor has great range and promise. The ultra-simple stage is in a small, wedge-shaped courtyard surrounded by tall houses… The resulting acoustics are terrific, and the opportunity to experience theater under the sky in an urban setting — as did Shakespeare’s original audiences — is a treat. -Jonathan Lerner

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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

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“Clowdus’ wonderfully clever amusement will tickle cubs and their keepers. He proves that Mother Nature can be a great collaborator, magician and trickster and that the glorious Serenbe setting can inspire mystery and awe… Based on my Saturday morning adventure with Baloo, Bagheera and Mowgli,  I can surely say I’ve been bitten by the Serenbe bug.” -Wendell Brock

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Excerpt from the Atlanta Journal Constitution

Serenbe Playhouse. This bucolic boutique destination on the southside offers fine dining, a stylishly secluded inn and a tony mix of shops, galleries, a spa and a sweet shop. Now you can stay and catch a show.  Brian Clowdus, founder and director of the theater in Palmetto, is using the pristine natural setting for an inaugural season that includes a family-appropriate “Jungle Book” (June 11-July 17); the contemporary two-person musical “John & Jen” (June 25-July 4) and an all-male telling of “Shakespeare’s R & J” (July 16-25). “People don’t really do theater outside anymore,” says Clowdus, an enterprising and adventurous University of South Carolina grad student.  “I love the idea that crickets and frogs kind of become your soundscape and you get to look up at the stars.” 1-800-838-3006, serenbeplayhouse.com

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