Couple make art form out of going to theater

If I don't see Liz and Dave Dameron at the 100-plus play openings I attend each season, I get worried. Reason is, I very rarely don't see them.

What makes this pair of 76-year-old retirees so hooked on live performance?

"I need theater," Liz, a North Jersey coast native, says. "I need it to think, about me, and the people around me. And when I'm in a car, I need it to sing."

Dave, a Henderson, Ky., native, was raised in New York.

"As a kid, my parents took me to see Katharine Hepburn as Rosalind in 'As You Like It,' and that was all it took."

The pair agree that the secret to making the arts a part of people's lives is to influence them while they're young. Dave goes so far as to say it's a parent's obligation to expose children to math, science, athletics and the performing arts. He and his wife call themselves "professional audience members" because they've never had an interest in actually taking part.

"I'm always intrigued about how a person can put on makeup and a costume, and say dialogue that's written on a page, and come up with a human being," Liz says. "I never get tired of seeing that."

The couple also see theater as an important way to socialize. They often meet others before or afterward for dinner and have made numerous friends debating the merits of productions.

The Damerons are soft-spoken, friendly people, but make no mistake about it: They've got strong opinions. Name a theater group, and you'll get firm critiques.

The Onyx?

"I enjoy them," Dave says. "First time I went there, I had my jacket over my head so no one would see me, since the theater is inside a fetish shop. But when I saw how good the plays were, I thought, what does it matter? And now, they have a separate entrance to the theater, so that makes some people feel better. And I don't mind the (occasional) nudity and adult language, as long as it's there to help tell the story."

Las Vegas Little Theatre?

"I don't always like their mainstage shows, because they're not very challenging," Liz says. "But I like that they use that money to produce interesting works in their BlackBox."

Super Summer Theatre?

"They've improved 1,000 percent," Dave says.

Nevada Conservatory Theatre and Las Vegas Academy?

"I like watching the students improve as time goes on," Liz says. "After all, they're schools, and that's supposed to happen."

Insurgo?

"I like them because they often do (traditional scripts) in interesting ways," Dave says.

College of Southern Nevada?

Dave and Liz hesitate. "I think they've gone downhill. There's some spark missing now," Dave says.

Signature Productions?

This time there's no hesitation.

"Best musicals in town."

Anthony Dell Valle can be reached at vegastheaterchat@ aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.