Egad! The Lady in White, a play by Tim Kelly...The First Play of the 2018-2019 Season of The Drama Workshop at The Glenmore Playhouse

Tom, Steve and I went to the last of the nine performances of Egad, The Lady in White, a play by Tim Kelly.  The title of the play comes from a mystery written by Wilkie Collins in 1859.  Collins' book is considered one of the first modern mystery novels.

 

The cast of Egad! The Lady in White. If you click on the photo you will get a larger view of the cast members.  Or you can look at the two photos below.

.  Front row...Ann Barfels as Miss Peach, Peggy Allen as Countess Fosco, Larry Mills as Lawyer Gilmore, Marcha Hunley who was the Director of the play.

   Back row...Linda Abbott asMaestro Lillian Buchanan, Kent Smith as Professor Smyth, Joe Ward as Sir Percival Glyde, and Victoria Kirby-Schwarber as Laura.

 Front row...Gretchen Stommel as Amelia, Victoria Covarrubias as Mrs. Catherick,  and Elizabeth Hickerson as Marian.
  Back row...Stephanie Klein as Dora, Alan Kootsher as Frederic Fairlee, Aaron Ellis as Walter Hartright, and Stefanie Adams as Madame Evan-Mills.

If I have made errors in the identification of the cast members, please let me know.

Below is the cast plus a few of the other people who made this play possible.  On the left, Greg Schaper who was one of the master carpenters as well as an usher and an official host during the intermission on Sunday when Tom, Steve and I attended.On the right are the co-producers, Valeria Amburgey, Dennis Murphy, and Elaine Volker.  They also helped in other ways.  Many other people were involved as well.  I took this photo quickly as the cast and technicians were rearranging themselves for more photos.

It is always interesting to me to see how the stage area and the audience seats are set up for the various plays. For this play, they was set up to accommodate a thrust stage. What I think of as the normal stage area was the luxurious library of Sir Percival Glyde, Baronet, played by Joe Ward.  In scene 7 of the second act, it became, with a change of props, a room in the parish church.

The forward thrust area was the Limmerage House, the home of Frederick Fairlie, a wealthy hypochondriac land-owner.  In the second act, for one scene, it became a cell in Countess Fosco's asylum for the insane.

Between the two "homes" is an area which served as a path and as a corridor.  I've pointed to this area with the arrow.

I know there must be technical names for all these sections of the performance area but  I don't know them.  

In this photo you can see the piano.  The piano player, Linda Abbott, by playing the appropriate music, created an old-fashioned melodramatic atmosphere.

One of the traditions of The Drama Workshop since 1968 has been to have a Sword on the stage during every performance as a symbol of the continuous unity of performers and technicians.  Some times it is easy to spot, sometimes its is hard to spot.  Steve found it quickly.  Do you see it?  He had to tell Tom and me where it was.  Hint:  Only the hilt is easily visible.

As in many melodramas, the acts of the play were separated by musical interludes or "Olios".  The Drama Workshop players developed their own Olios. We were treated to duets and solos by Stefani Adams (Madame Evan-Mills) and Kent Smith (Professor Smith).  The songs were great fun, partly because the audience was invited to join in on some of them.  It has been years since I have sung the chorus to Daisy, Daisy, (Bicycle Built for Two) and The Man on the Flying Trapeze.  The Words for the choruses of When the Roll is Called Up Yonder and Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight were printed in the playbill.

The audience was encouraged to participate in other ways as well.  We hissed and booed the villians and ahhed when we were touched by touching romantic scenes.

But, for Steve, the best part of the afternoon for Steve was visiting with his theater friends. They greeted one another with joy. He hugged them and they hugged him.

Usually we spend time talking with our son, Ray and his wife,Gretchen, but since Ray is on a three year assignment to London, UK we didn't do that.  They are still active with the theater.  He plans to design sets and she is on the Marketing Committee. They will communicate via the Internet.  It is a wonderful world that we live in.

The Fanstasticks, Words and Music by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, Presented by The Drama Workshop

"Try to remember the kind of September when life was slow, and oh, so mellow..."  This song has been popping into my head at odd times ever since I saw "The Fantasticks"  presented by The Drama Workshop at The Glenmore Playhouse in Cheviot.  Tom, our friend, Pat, and I went to the April 24th matinee.

I'm sorry I didn't get this posted sooner but word of mouth and publicity made it one of The Drama Workshop's ten most attended productions of all time.

Included on the stars in the photo above are the actors and also many of the supporting volunteers who make the community theater possible.  The photos below are closer views of the left and right side.  If you click on them to enlarge them, you may recognize some faces.

Cast members were...

Jonny Hofmann as The Narrator--El Gallo

Maria Huey as The Girl-Luisa

Jacob Lucas as The Boy-Matt

Mark Waldfogle as The Boy's Father-Hucklebee

Russ D. McGee as The Girl's Father-Bellomy

Jack Williams as The Old Actor-Henry

Mike Robb as The Man Who Dies-Mortimer

Geoffrey Hill as The Mute ( also The Wall)

The props and set were minimal just as they were in the original off-Broadway production that ran for 42 years, making it the world's longest-running musical.  It was great fun being surprised by what was found in the boxes to the left and right of the center stage.

I was looking through my old posts and found this one from several years ago which I never posted so I am posting it now.

Always Patsy Cline... the Props on the Glenmore Theatre Stage

When I walked into the theater I was drawn back to my childhood and early adulthood.  The set was the 1961 that I remembered.

Our seats were to the right side so we were seated close to the "kitchen".

Tom was as impressed with the kitchen as I was.  He said, "Take a close look at the calendar on the refrigerator."

Tom, Pat, and I started pointing out other things we remembered.

The broom and dustpan parked beside the refrigerator...the flyswatter where it was handy...the radio on top of the refrigerator...the braided rug...the ruffled curtains on the door...linoleum on the floor.

We remembered the curtain hanging from the sink to cover the plumbing and the Brillo Pads box as well as Bon Ami Shaker container...the cutting boards, the copper molds.  Way to the left is a spice rack typical of the era.  Even the cupboard doors felt right.  Pat spotted a toaster like the one her family had.

And then we began looking at the items on the open shelves.  Do you recognize anything?

On the left side of the theater as we looked at it was a corner of The Esquire Ballroom which was outside Houston, Texas.  This is where Patsy Cline and Louise Seger met.

The sign on the middle of the back wall is a vintage neon Pabst Blue Ribbon Sign which lit when this part of the set was the focal point.

Gretchen Gantner, was in charge of Set Decor and Tobie Braverman was in charge of Properties.  The two women did an outstanding job. I was so drawn into the era that I was still back in 1961 after the play was over.

What astonished me most was the sign below.  It brought back memories that were buried deep.

My dad was an insurance agent and also, for a while, a superintendent for The National Life and Accident Insurance Company.  The company's annual convention was in Nashville and the conventioneers always went to a performance of  The Grand Ole Opry.  Dad was proud that his company had been part of the start of what became a Nashville tradition.  Dad worked for the company nearly all the years that I was growing up.

Our son, Ray, created the central Grand Ole Opry set design  from a small black and white photo he found after much searching.  Until I told him, he didn't realize that his grandpa had worked for the insurance company.

Ray painted the barn detail but Tobie Braverman, Gretchen Gantner, Karen Romero, and Elaine Volker painted the barn.

But before any painting could be done, the Construction Crew built the set.  Builders included Linda Abbott, Lydia Abbott, Clint Bramkamp, John Farrow, Gretchen Gantner, Cynthia Mottel, Dennis Murphy, James Reuter, Karen Romero, Greg Schaper, Megan Schultheis, Patrick Schultheis, Kent Smith, Fred tacon, Eric Thomas, Veronica Thomas, Elaine Volker, Amy Waldfogle, Katie Waldfogle, Mark Waldfogle, and Robert Weidle.

Thanks, all of you.  You helped create a play I will never forget.

Always...Patsy Cline by Ted Swindley, Presented by The Drama Workshop

The Drama Workshop finished off the 2016-2017 with a smash hit for their patrons.  This musical was so popular with the community that an extra weekend was added and people were begging for still another weekend.  But, as a member of the group remarked,  "This is community theater and it is time for us all to get back to our real lives."  My good friend who went with Tom and me said, " I had no idea that this group was all volunteer, that they perform like this for fun, not for pay."

Cynthia Mottel as Patsy Cline treated us to twenty-four Patsy Cline hits, including "Crazy" and "I Fall to Pieces".

Jennifer Keith as Louise Seger, Patsy's fan from the beginning and friend from the time Patsy met her was completely believable as a Texas housewife with a passion for Patsy and her music.

I was dazzled by the entire production.  I didn't realize until I was back in the van that the two women with Cynthia Mottel at a photo opportunity after the play were probably Jennifer Keith and Linda Abbott. I thought they were family members. But I did get this photo of Cynthia.

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The musical production was directed by Robert Weidle and produced by Gretchen Gantner with Linda Abbott as Band Leader and Vocal Director.  Linda Abbott also played the piano.  Her piano playing could have been a solo act and people would have come.

                         The Bodacious Bobcat Band

As an aside and an example of the adaptability of all involved, my son,Ray, said that as of last Sunday there had been six different combinations of band members, depending on who was available for each performance.  But the band always performed flawlessly.

                                The Jordanaires
Standing is Kurt Kishler.  In front is Randy Meyer.  They sang "How Great Thou Art" beautifully as well as backup to Patsy Cline's songs.

Photo of part of the Creative Crew.

Below is a list of the entire Creative Crew.

This production brought back lots of memories from years ago.  I'll save them for another blog.

The Drama Workshop Production of The Odd Couple by Neil Simon

I have been hearing about Felix and Oscar for years and years and years but the first time I actually saw them was February 26, 2017 when Tom and I went to Cheviot to see the play directed and produced by our son, Ray Persing.  Assistant Producer was his wife, Gretchen Gantner.

The play was a great introduction to the classic characters. Oscar Madison, the slovenly, easygoing Sportswriter was played by Chris Bishop.  Felix Unger, the neat freak, uptight and hypochondriac news-writer, was played by Eric Thomas.

Developing the characters of the four cardplaying friends of Oscar and Felix was essential to keeping the audience's interest in the first act. All of them are wondering where Felix is, why he hasn't shown up at the card game.  It turns out that Felix has a major problem which his friends learn when Oscar calls  Felix's wife.  When Felix finally appears each friend has ideas for solving the problem.

Above: Surrounding Felix Unger (Eric Thomas) who is seated on the chair and wearing a a suit are his cardplaying friends.  Left to right they are Roy ( Adam Drake), Murray (Mark Waldfogle), Speed (BJ Simpson), and Vinnie (Scott Unes).  Each friend has decided opinions and ideas.  (Photo by Elaine Volker)

After the friends leave, Oscar is left with Felix who is still devastated. 

Photo by Elaine Vocker

Photo by Elaine Volker
Finally, out of options, Oscar tells Felix he can move in.  This turns out to be a difficult situation for both of them.  The rest of the play is about solving this situation.

Two English women are involved in the solution.  I don't have a picture of them but Tom noted immediately after the play, that they had remarkable abilities to titter girlishly and convincingly for extended periods of time.  The Pigeon sisters were played by Kristen Vincenty (Gwendolyn) and Meagan L. Blasch (Cecily).

After the play run, Ray posted on Facebook.  He thanked everyone involved and announced that The Odd Couple was the fourth most attended show in The Drama Workshop history.

Below are listed addtional members of the Creative Team... Stage Manager, Scenic Designer, Set Decor, Master Carpenter, Construction and Painting Crew, Costume Design, Light Design, Light Execution, Lighting Crew, Sound Design, Sound Execution, Properties, Dialect Coach-NewYork, Dialect Coach-British, Running Crew, Hair and Makeup, Program, Original Show Art, Lobby Display, Lobby Photography, Box Office, Usher Coordinator, House/Hospitality, Publicity, and Poster Distribution.  Click on the photo to see an enlarged version so you can read all the names.

I listed the Team Titles to give you an idea of the multitude of expertises needed to produce a play.  Anyone with any kind of skill can find something to do in Community Theater.  It certainly helps to work well with others and have a cheerful attitude when things are hectic.

The Lion in Winter, Play by James Goldman, Presented by The Drama Workshop

Cast: Front Row...Karen Romero as Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of England,  Wallace Johnson as Henry II, King of England.
         Back Row...Rick Hunt as Richard (The Lion-hearted) and oldest living son of Henry and Eleanor, James Gilhooley as John, the youngest son,  Michael Gettinger as Geoffrey, the middle son, Robert Hyer as King Phillip of France, and Hannah Goodman as Alais (French princess, sister of King Phillip).

Just by looking at the picture you can see one of the play's conflicts, the conflict between the young and the old.  The young are rising into power and the old are determined to keep their power.

Despite this being primarily a drama, there plenty of funny lines  These lines often have to do with the attitudes of  parents toward their children and attitudes of children toward parents. And in the case of  Eleanor and Henry, you will recognize the attitudes of married couples toward one another.

When Eleanor and Henry had a serious conflict, he used a solution available to kings. He put Eleanor in prison. Out of the goodness of his heart, he has let her out for Christmas.  Needless to say, they have strong mixed feelings for one another as well as for their sons.

Alais, the French princess adds turmoil as young pretty women do.

 Both Henry II and King Phillip have plans involving increasing their power and lands and so the Hundred Years War limps along.  The display in the lobby shows the lands  under dispute . To get a better look at the map , click on it. All in all, living as a ruler in  the twelfth century was like a game of chess.

Fortunately for me, the playbill also  included a time line of  English historical events which led up to this Christmas celebration.  (The Christmas celebration is actually an invention of the playwright as a setting for the drama.)

By the end of the play, Henry thinks he has solved his problems but we know better.

The play is directed by Francis Boyle and produced by Dennis Murphy.  Under Boyle's direction, the veteran members of the cast, Wallace Johnson and Karen Romero shine as powerful, opinionated royalty.  The supporting members  play the parts of unique and evolving characters who will rule the next generation.

As always, the refreshments at intermission reflect the content of the play.  There are tiny Yorkshire puddings and English Royalty Cho-Chip Scones as well as tidbits that honor French cooking.
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The play is being performed on the Thrust stage option so the action is close to the audience and three-dimensional.  Here, a member of the stage crew is changing details of the set for Act 2.

As always, there is a long list of team members who provide the support which makes it possible for the actors and director to accomplish their magic.

The play will be presented again tonight, October 21, 2016, as well as tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon.  Check The Drama Workshop website:

www.thedramaworkshop.org

 or call the box office at 513-598-8303.

The Drama Workshop Presents Noises Off Written by Michael Frayn

Tom and I went to see Noises Off on Sunday, August 14.  Tom drove through torrential rain from our home, through Dayton and even further south.  By the time we arrived at The Glenmore Playhouse in Cheviot, the sun was shining.  That made it easy for Tom on his power chair to get into the theater.  We heard that there were two heavy spells of rain during the play but the sun was shining again when we left the theater.  

I'm glad we braved the rain because the play was a slapstick comedy which kept us and the audience laughing.  Anyone who has had anything to do with  a grade school program or a church program, or a high school play either as a player or a director will recognize the basis of this farce.  

Noises Off is a play with a play within it.  The inner play, Nothing On, is rehearsed and then presented twice, once as the audience watches from backstage and once as the audience watches the stage.  The playbill for Nothing On enclosed in the Noises Off playbill is an extension of the farce and made me chuckle when I read it later.

Meanwhile, the actors and actresses  have their own issues emerging.  Just what is going on in real life?  Sometimes they know and sometimes they have no idea.

The cast includes from left to right...

Stephanie Adams as Belinda Blair, a cheerful sensible actress

Tim Binzer as Frederick Fellowes, a timid actor afraid of violence and blood

Elizabeth Beatty as Poppy Norton-Taylor, an emotional Assistant Stage Manager

Natasha Boeckmann as Brooke Ashton, a beautiful, dense young actress

Bill Keeton as Lloyd Dallas, the director of Nothing On
Kent Smith as Selsdon Mowbray, the elderly actor with a love for whiskey
Mary Ann Smith as Dotty Otley, a forgetful actress
Eric Thomas as Tim Allgood, an overworked stage manager
Ian Tinney as Garry Lejeune, a stuttering actor

The director of the inner play, Nothing On, Lloyd Dallas,  gets so upset with the flawed final rehearsal that he finally exclaims when one of the actors wants to understand the play,  "Getting the sardines on, getting the sardines off.  That's farce!  That's theater!  That's life!" 

That comment explains the fish on the lobby display.  I wondered why 3-D fish were part of it.  Afterward I heard that getting exactly the right fish for the part was one of the problems the Properties Crew leader, Valeria Amburgey, had to solve.  Just any fish weren't usable.  But the right fish were found.

Dennis Murphy was the director. I've always been curious about the difference between a director and a producer so I went online to learn more.  I found good job descriptions at Community Theatre.com.  I will use that site more now that I have found it.

Part of the definition I found for director --"It is the director that the rest of the team looks to for the vision and understanding of the play."  Dennis Murphy does an outstanding job.  In his notes to the audience, he wrote that Act 2, (when the back stage set is facing the audience), was a particular challenge.  I was impressed with the audience being able to follow the action of  "Nothing On" through a stage window at the same time that all kinds of slapstick events were being mimed backstage. Never did the mimes obscure the window. He met the challenge and so did the actors.  The scene worked beautifully.

Elaine Volker was the producer.  Again, I went to Community Theatre.com for a definition--"The producer is responsible for all the tasks involved in the physical realization of the production on stage."  Under this statement is a list-- twenty specific duties. Once I asked my daughter what the job of the producer was.  She said, "The producer does everything the director doesn't do."  Elaine did a great job.  I can't begin to conceive of all the time involved in this position.  This job takes a well-organized individual.

Dennis Murphy also noted in his Director's Notes that The Drama Workshop would never have scheduled Noises Off if the group did not have "absolute trust" that set designer, Ray Persing, could design and build a two-story, seven door set sturdy enough to support the action and revolve between acts as needed. (That's our son, the engineer.)

Here is one side of the set...the stage...

and the other side... back stage...

I'm sorry I didn't get a photo of the stalwart TWD crew turning the set.  Ray said there are 68 casters on  the set  which revolves with power provided by the muscles of The Drama Workshop crew.  The audience gave the turning of the set a round of applause.

Here are more of the creative team members who made this play possible.

Elizabeth Boland, Jason Cox, Elaine Michael, Valeria Amburgey

Tobie Braverman, Gretchen Gantner, Michele Fortman, Gretchen Stommel, Carol Smith

The play will be presented again this coming weekend, August  26, 27, and 28.  If you like to laugh, don't miss it.  You can get more information by going to

www.thedramaworkshop.org
or
calling 513-598-8303

Unnecessary Farce, a Play by Paul Slade Smith, Presented by The Drama Workshop

As actors and actresses anguished over their dilemmas, waves of laughter rang from the audience when Unnecessary Farce was presented by The Glenmore Playhouse on Sunday afternoon.  Tom, two of our grandsons, and I  saw the play.   Written by Paul Slade Smith, the play is a lot of the fun with the predicaments getting funnier and funnier as the play proceeds.  Ray Persing, our son, directed and produced the play.

The cast includes Glenn Schaich as Eric Sheridan, Ashley Boehm as Billie Dwyer, Meagan Blasch as Karen Brown, Joe Ward as Mayor Meekly, Chris Bishop as Agent Frank, Kevin Noll as Todd, and Mary Benken-Mccauley as Mary Meekly.

The "official" description as reported in the card sent out to subscribers describes the play this way.
      "Two cops.  Three crooks.  Eight doors. Go."  The antics are rated PG-13.

Part of the decor in the lobby are two mock flats.  A member of drama workshop said there are real

flats back stage that have similar comments written on them by the cast as the rehearsals progressed.

Below are a few of the comments in a larger format.  If you want to see the other comments click on the photos above to enlarge them.

Traditionally, the refreshments at Intermission are reflective of the play so there are such items as "Big Mac" aroons, Donuts (for the cops) and Oatmeal Scotchies.  Did I mention there is a Scot in the play?

The set is two economy motel rooms.

Some of the funniest scenes are created by the two doors not visible in the photo above, the two doors which turn the adjoining rooms into a suite. Below is a side angle so you can see one of the two doors.

 Opening weekend was close to being completely sold out.  There are six more performances but the tickets are going fast. Call the TDW ticket line at 513-598-8303 or order online at
          www.thedramaworkshop.org

You will be glad you did.