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The Silver Line, retiled floors, and revamped cars aren’t the only upgrades coming to Metro. This week, riders may also be treated to some live entertainment.
Homeward Theatre actors Justin McLachlan and Lena Winter plan to rehearse their Capital Fringe show Last Train to Nibroc somewhere on the Red Line this week in advance of their Saturday-evening opening night.
McLachlan and Winter say they’re planning to run through the 25-minute second act of the show, which is set on a train leaving California in the early days of World War II. Somewhere between Shady Grove and Silver Spring, the actors plan to confound fellow riders with emotional outbursts and 1940s Kentucky accents. “I’m a little nervous about it,” McLachlan says. “I say ‘I reckon’ probably 30 times. I’ve never said that to anyone in my life.”
The two say they’ll scout out a busy train that still has open seats. After boarding together, they’ll separate and “meet” for the first time when McLachlan, a soldier, asks Winter, a schoolteacher: “Mind if I sit a spell?”
The performance is unauthorized—they never cleared it with Metro—because they hope it’ll natural enough that most commuters won’t notice (even though Homeward Theatre did send out a press release).
They may not stay conspicuous for long. “There’s actually a part when my characters starts to cry and they will probably notice that,” Winters admits.
Both agreed it would be a good rehearsal technique, a way for them to see a reaction from an unsuspecting audience. “We figured this would help us get into this reality of what it would be like and let the dialogue flow,” McLachlan says. And, he added, if anyone does interrupt them and ask what is going on, it’s a good chance to promote the show.
The play runs July 13 to 28 at the Bedroom at Fort Fringe.