All the world’s a stage, according to Shakespeare—and the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. Props mistress Jenn Sheetz operates a continuous virtual yard sale of furniture, costumes, and set pieces from Woolly Mammoth productions. Pieces go online before shows go onstage so theater-goers can build bonds with objects before bringing them into their homes. Pieces remain online until they’re sold, and everything online can be bought immediately—though not taken home until the production ends.
It is, without a doubt, one of the wackiest yard sales ever. Exhibit A: the “soul box” ($100). This handmade, coffin-sized chest from Vigils housed a deceased husband’s soul on stage, but in your home “it would make a great linen-storage or toy chest,” according to Woolly Mammoth. Exhibit B: the “antique buggy” ($50) from The Velvet Sky, “so creepy that it was ultimately cut after the first preview!” Maybe for Halloween. . . .
Less macabre and more practical items also show up in the online sale. A “very comfortable” Ethan Allen chair and ottoman ($250) are a good catch, as is a $20 craft table. A three-piece coffee- and end-table set seems a bargain for $100, particularly when “all three pieces have drawers to hide things in!” Maybe, if your spirit is small, the set could pull triple duty as coffee table, soul box, and linen chest.
All sales are first-come, first served, so buy quickly if you see something you like. Woolly Mammoth accepts cash, checks, or credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, or American Express), and you must go to the theater (641 D St NW) to pick up items you buy. Prices are negotiable—arrange a time to meet with Jenn Sheetz (jenn <at> woollymammoth <dot> net) if you’re interested.
