I  already have 80 acres -- already paid for-- where I want to build an indoor stage, studio and small amphitheatre  for working on new plays.  I am not attempting to recoup my investment on this land, and not attempting to make money off anyone.  I simply am looking for a way to be involved in theatre and yet live close to the land. 

   It should be relatively easy to complete this theatre project because it is starting out without the added burden of a mortgage hanging over the land.  I don't need the land, and I have other houses in town anyway, but I want to do something with it in theatre.  I am presently working every day towards this goal, and I often wish I had one or two collaborators here with me.  If I can find somebody, they will be backstage with me in forming this theatre, and will have a chance to develop their own position there as they want.

  I recently sold one piece of property that was left in my family by my parents, who recently died, and I took my share and roofed a house in town that I plan to sell to raise money to do more work on the land.  However, I have already done a tremendous amount of work -- rewired all the houses, built a water system, improved the road and parking areas, built gardens, several ponds etc. 

      There's a u-shaped hollow that just looks like a natural place for am amphitheatre, but we'd have to clear the area of trees now and build seats  and a stage.  The stage would then be facing a pointed mountaintop where the sun rises and sets:  It would be a great setting for an amphitheatre, much better than most settings that I have seen myself.

    Below the hollow is a big field and pond, but room for plenty buildings and a lake replacing the pond.  There's also flat lots on old logging roads above the pond, and the lots might be a good place to build housing for visiting theatre people, actors coming to read and playwrights coming to write.  However, I have not made a preliminary site map:  I want to do this in participation with others, so that everyone feels like they have a part.

      This is the most lovely piece of land you ever saw -- just a big sunny horse-shoe shaped valley with a pointed mountain peak directly behind the houses and forested ridges framing the sides.  There is a big field in the middle where there's plenty room to build as small or big a stage as we want, and plenty room for parking, plenty room for a lake, for gardens and for groups to come. 

    I am working hard right now to get four farmhouses cleaned up and ready for basic staff to come here and help start it. 

    I have a list of people interested in volunteering later to help build the stage [s] and some wee natural houses for visitors.  There's presently room in existing houses for some people to come live and work, but we would nave to work another year or two to get the place ready for larger groups to come. I have had groups there in past -- once, chool kids came up in a school bus to picnic there.  Another time, 25 people from an Audubon tour camped out around the yards.  However, the place is not suited yet for permanent use by groups. 

  I have visited a couple outdoor theatres to get an idea what their facilities for actors are like, and I feel confident that I can do as well or better than these other groups. 

    I visited one theatre, for ex., that had antiquated housing, not ver attractive or even comfortable for the actors, but I saw another theatre that had the most wonderful kitchen to feed people. It was so inviting.  I could imagine playwrights and actors seated around the tables talking.

     I have in mind building a community kitchen  supplied from organic gardens to feed groups.  I also want to build a green room with facilities for playwrights [computers, library etc.]  and more housing.  I can get most, if not all, the money to do this from selling two houses that I own in towns.  I have a carpenter who can do the work, and I have electiricians who help me.  However, it is sort of depressing developing a theatre all by yourself, and that's what I am attempting to do. 

  I am doing this because I am isolated.  I am the only playwright I know.  At one point, I left the county land and went back to a house in the city just to be close to the theatres.  I was about to sell the land, when I came up with this idea of starting a retreat. It seems to be a particularly good idea what with the gas crisis and developing food supply and water problems all over the world.  I want to do my part to live sustainably, and this was my solution -- a rural location to develop plays that we could take back to cities if we want.

  I hope any interested people will contact me.  I could offer them housing and I will share everything I have with somebody who is committed to theatre and sincerely wants to develop one.  However, this theatre would be aimed primarily at developing plays, at least initially, because it is not in a good location for big audiences.  There are plenty outdoor theatres around here though, and they get fairly good audiences at times, so it may be possible to have a performance oriented amphitheatre at some point.  Initially I wanted to start small with playwrights working with a few actors, and go from there.

  Greta

p.s. This IS country land, and there are snakes and bugs here.

  The farm is located in the southeast corner of Kentucky near  the junction of the state lines of Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee.  It is in a 14-county zone targeted by the governments to become a national model for environmental education, cleanup and restoration.  There is talk of creating a new national park built around the theme of the elk herd -- I have 20 elk running through my yard at times.

  It is within driving range of Barter Theatre, Southern Appalachian Repertory, Actors Guild of Lexington, Studio Players of Lex, the new Actors Collaborative Theatre in Pikeville, and Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cincinnati theatres and Triad Stage in Greensboro, NC, to name a few.

  Plus, it is close to a half dozen outdoor amphitheatres and the summer stock Pioneer Playhouse.  The beautiful Mountainside Theatre of the Cherokees is 3 hrs. away and I recently visited it to get ideas.