Summer doldrums

It's that time of the year that many reporters dread...and also secretly love. It's the slow time of year, when a lot of people - including newsmakers - are on vacation, and so our news coverage starts to feel a bit sparse. For those reporters who always feel like they're one step behind where they need to be, it's an opportunity to breathe a little easier.

In the theater world this holds particularly true. Most theaters close for the summer, knowing Minnesotans have precious few days of good weather to enjoy, and really don't want to spend their evenings in a darkened room when they could be at the lake.

The Fringe Festival - the bright blazing comet of the summer theater season - has passed, and we're left in its quiet wake.

To make matters worse, in these hard economic times many theaters appear to be shortening their seasons as a way to tighten their budget belts. That means some companies, such as Penumbra Theater, won't launch their first production until October.

What to do, in the meantime? Enjoy the theater of the outdoors. Work in the garden. Take in an music concert in the park. Those cold fall evenings - and cozy little theaters - will welcome you in soon enough.

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