Arlington — The curtain rises this Thursday evening at 7 p.m. in the Yorktown High School auditorium for the first of two community performances of “The Widow Ranter.” Written in 1675 by Aphra Behn, one of the world's earliest professional female playwrights and among the least-known writers of Restoration comedy, “The Widow Ranter” is set in the New World, a contemporary account of the real-life Jamestown uprising known as “Bacon's Rebellion.” While this historical-fictional adventure includes many invented subplots (romantic and comedic), it is also a document of Jamestown's true character, with its outlaws, American Indians, opportunists and individualists.
Following the community performances, the Yorktown cast will travel to Reston to perform the short play in the Virginia Theatre Association competition.
“The Widow Ranter” performances are 7 p.m. on Oct. 17 and 24 in the auditorium at Yorktown High School (5200 Yorktown Blvd), admission by donation.