Theater Tips: Lanesboro

Seating

The seating in the new Commonweal is general admission, which means patrons choose their seats on a first-come, first-served basis. (As a perk, season ticket holders are allowed into the theater first.) Because of the thrust seating, all of the seats are close to the stage, but I think the larger section directly facing the stage offers the best theatre experience. For example, I spent the first half of Harvey in the second row on the house left side of the stage. After intermission, I moved to a comparable seat in the center section and noticed a definite increase in "energy." I think the extra energy came largely from the actors playing more to the front of the room, but it also ccame from sitting in a section with more people (the side sections only have a few rows, while the center section has many.) Hearing others around me laugh increased my enjoyment of the play. At the Commonweal, patrons don't have to pay extra for the best seats, they just have to be timely.

Food

Lanesboro has several great restaurants, and eating before a performance is an important part of the Lanesboro theatre experience. With plays starting one half hour earlier (7:30 p.m.), it's a bit harder to make the trip to Lanesboro and still have time for a relaxing meal. This summer, several of the restaurants in town have made accommodations for the earlier time by staying open later on weekends. (In the past, the three bars were the only places to socialize after the plays.) While not an exhaustive list, the Vintage Restaurant (right next to the Commonweal) and Riverside on the Root both offer limited menus after the play. Additionally, Riverside often has live acoustic music on their outdoor deck. That means that theatre goers won't starve if they skip dinner to make the show, and they now have places to go after the play to extend the theatre experience.