At The Theater

I got turned on to “Downton Abbey” by a friend several years ago and quickly became a fanatic. I was already a “Masterpiece Theater” fan, and this made it worse. The television series, created by Julian Fellowes, began in the fall of 2010 and I remember hearing that it was a popular thing among college students. I had no idea.

The series, set in the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey between 1912 and 1926, depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants as they navigate personal issues, the politics of “upstairs” versus “downstairs,” and historic events taking place. The series opens with the tragic loss of the Titanic and touches on World War I and the Irish War of Independence. All the while, the family faces griefs and changes in the socio-economic realities of Post-Edwardian England.

For a while I ate and drank Downton Abbey and was crushed to see it end. But such dramatic series are not meant to last.

As for the plot of this feature film, well, a few have already seen it. I will not divulge it here; that would seem to steal some thunder. Suffice it to say that in order to celebrate the extravagant success and mad popularity of this drama, I might just have to don black tails and white gloves and pretend I am Mr. Carson. If you have never seen “Downton Abbey,” I highly encourage you to experience it. As a drama of laughter and tears, it truly is worthy of its time.

“Downton Abbey” is rated PG and has a run time of two hours. Visit http://www.libertytheater.org for admission prices and upcoming films. You may also call Manager Mike Ferrians at 509-382-1380 for more information.