Respites
The Quietest Place in Shirlington
Ivy F. DeShield, contributing editor
ivydeshield@gmail.com
Some corners of our world are tucked quietly away in spirited woodlands of the Old World, while other seemingly secluded destinations are hidden in plain view off local interstate highways, such as the dog-friendly town center, The Village at Shirlington, sweetly nestled in the Northern Virginia suburb of Shirlington that lies on Interstate 395.
I stumbled upon this delightful assembly of apartments, shops, restaurants and theaters in the heart of the Washington, D.C. area most recently on the day of the 5.8 earthquake that shook North America’s core from Virginia to Canada. To ease the shock and provide an outlet to those looking to relax amidst the chaos, many local businesses offered various discounts to their patrons on the day of and throughout the week after the quake. Browsing my tweets that evening, I noticed an unbelievable special on last-minute theater seats going for $5.90 apiece, since the earthquake had had a preliminary magnitude of 5.9. To what was soon to be my great pleasure, The Hollow, a spine-chilling musical reinvention of the classic literary work by Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, was in its first week of production at Signature Theatre in Shirlington. I decided to invite my two co-workers to accompany me, since we are all enthusiastic lovers of the stage and a good old-fashioned scare, every now and then.
Arriving approximately two hours before curtain, we were lucky to secure three seats together in what we later discovered was practically a full house. Taking more than a brief sweep of the fashionable venue and its surroundings, I realized that Signature Theatre’s intent is to welcome its patrons to a newer and more exciting experience than ever before. The building’s structure is a breathtakingly modern affair that “serves as a cultural anchor” within the city of Arlington, featuring two black-box theaters and “attract[ing] more than 80,000 patrons each season, [and] increasingly gaining recognition as one of the Nation’s best regional theaters.” This particular “Village” landmark, a Tony Award-winning, non-profit professional theater company, is highly recognized for developing new dramatic works, as well as its musical productions that breathe life into traditional dramas and those that unearth and restore works through artful reinterpretation. Also widely known for their outreach/educational opportunities for at-risk teens and non-traditional theatergoers, Signature Theatre has taken a firm foothold in the Washington community. (http://www.signature-theatre.org)
Having enjoyed a huge bowl of deliciously chunky guacamole served with fresh corn tortilla chips (more than enough for our small trio), refreshing Sangrias and an appetizer of tamal de elote (corn cake) at the nearby Mexican food chain Guapo’s, we window-shopped down Campbell Avenue as we returned to the theater. The Village at Shirlington sets a beautiful tableau in the late afternoon; it’s the perfect area to people watch as you wine and dine café style at a local restaurant, walk your dog, or simply rest on one of the curbside seating arrangements. From early happy hour to the late dinner crowd, you can literally observe the quirky, quasi-urban scene unfolding before you. The primarily young to middle-age post-modern crowd play out their existence against quaint storefronts, park-style benches and traditional cuisine.
Later, ensconced within the walls of the dim black-box theater after a chilling performance, I thought it ironic for Irving’s fictional tale of a headless horseman terrorizing the quiet 18th-century Dutch village of Tarry Town to be staged in this charming village. Emerging from what had to have been the quietest place in Shirlington that night, I sensed the vibrant spirit in the night atmosphere. No headless horsemen, haunted woods or dark soulful melodies, just the light murmur of crowds in high spirits. Ichabod Crane would have loved it.
The Hollow runs until October 16th.
