The Presentation

The Presenters

PAT & JERRY HAGER

Pat & Jerry Hager go back nearly to the beginning of Old Town Playhouse when it was still known as the Traverse City Civic Players. The Hagers, being new to the area, had read something in the paper about [TCCP] looking for directors. Since Pat directed in the Lansing area before moving up here, she decided to attend the meeting. Jerry joined her for moral support. They were both given scripts to read. It seemed, apparently that directors were chosen by having the people read from the script. They both read and the next day Jerry was called and given a part. It seems it was also an audition! Jerry was in the third play ever produced by Civic Players, The Mousetrap. It was 1962, the second season for the newly formed civic theatre

Money was always a factor in the early days of the burgeoning theatre company. They had none. Royalties were a maximum of $25. Even then, everything was a constant struggle. They worked from show to show. The play they chose for the next show depended on how much they made from the previous show. Poor as the proverbial church mice and things not going well, Judge Mort Forester, then president, along with the others decided to fold up and give any materials to the high school. Fortunately for us that never happened.

There had been talk of doing a musical for years. Typically, the idea was voted down, often with heated debates, because of the tremendous cost involved. So when Pat was elected president she did her homework, got all the facts together, and figured the real costs of producing a musical would cost $500.

She decided she wouldn’t ask the board, she would tell them they were doing a musical. The main problems seemed to be, "where would we find the talent" and "where would we find musicians?" So, Pat found the singers and then went to Joe McFarland, of the then well-known Jazz Quintet. He promised to find musicians. After all that work nobody on the board had the "guts" to go against her. So finally, after 10 years of existence, Traverse City Civic Players put on their first musical, Guys & Dolls in 1969. Jerry, of course, had one of the leads. As Barb Bradford put it, "This got us out of the financial doldrums." It also made the future possible.

Jerry may also be remembered as the town drunk. Not literally, of course. That is, he plays the town drunk each year in the Rotary Show. The little known fact is that well-known "drunk" actually came about because of a walk-on character Jerry added to Guys & Dolls.

Everyone I talked to about the early years of Civic Players shared stories about the many wonderful parties [PAUSE for EFFECT] – even though they couldn’t remember any of them. The favorite after rehearsal haunts were Sleder's and Dill's. I guess little has really changed over the last 40 years.

Civic Players were always looking for a home. The group had already moved from performing in the high school to the Park Place Dome. At one point much effort was put into purchasing a church in the 800 block of Washington Street. All bases were covered, checking with neighbors, going to the city commission and planning board. In the end it was not allowed because of zoning ordinances. Another time, upstairs of Dills restaurant was offered as a storage and rehearsal space. So Civic Players members cleaned, painted and fixed up the space only to be told there was no insurance and the space could not be used. During their tenure, the Hagers along with other Civic Players jumped many hurdles

Pat and Jerry had a son Bill who made them grandparents, and now has made them great-grandparents. They also had a daughter Dana and son Michael. Pat was for years a social worker with Traverse Bay Intermediate School District.

I personally know that Pat went to bat for a good many kids in the Grand Traverse Area. I remember she would take empty boxes down to the Salvation Army on Washington Street and fill them with Christmas presents to take to the children on her case load.

Pat had a long battle with cancer and has since passed away. Jerry has remarried and he and his wife Marge have a home in East Bay Township. They continue to support Old Town Playhouse as season ticket holders. We always like it when Jerry comes by to pick up his tickets as he usually has a Civic Player story or two to share. Jerry has still not retired. He is zoning inspector for East Bay Township.

From 1960 through 1972, Pat and Jerry continued as very active members of the Traverse City Civic Players. Pat was the director and never acted on stage. Jerry was the actor but never directed. Together they were both on the board and eventually both served TCCP as president. Though the 12 years they spent actively with the Players seems a long time ago, they are remembered fondly today, and as new members of the Old Town Playhouse Hall of Fame will not soon be forgotten….

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present Jerry Hager.

 

 
KASEY KILPATRICK

 

Kasey Kilpatrick joined the Traverse City Civic Players in 1969. It is appropriate that she be receiving this honor tonight. Her first role was in the musical that Pat Hager would see staged that same year…Guys and Dolls Longevity could also be a good reason Kasey is honored tonight.

From 1969 to today she remains a stalwart active member of Old Town Playhouse. By her count, Kasey has been involved with some 68 shows. 60 of which she has performed in; 12 of those were musicals, and she has directed six shows .

In 33 years with OTP, Kasey has done everything -- acting, directing, properties, board member, costumer, make-up designer, set design and construction. She set up the first make-up department and often travelled the area giving make-up demonstrations to groups. Kasey liked working on props. She would find or build the unusual that was needed for a show. When she was cast in a role she would immediately begin gathering props to enhance her character. More than one director has been surprised by what Kasey dug up for her role.

It was always a challenge for sets and props to be planned and built for the Park Place Dome. Usually things were built in a separate warehouse or garage. The Players only had one or two nights to practice in the dome before performances. Kasey was once assigned to paint a back drop.  She meticulously designed and painted this back drop. Being the perfectionist she is, she took much time to make it just so. When the drop was hung on the rim of the dome, however, about two feet of it hung on the floor. Much of her wonderful artistic design was forever lost to the audience.

Kasey will long be remembered for the varied roles she has played over her many years at OTP. From her first role as The General in Guys & Dolls to leading roles in The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild, Secret Garden, Fiddler On The Roof and Gypsy to name just a few. Her last performance, to date, was in Anne Of Green Gables.

There were times when directors had to work hard at getting Kasey off the stage. The third musical done by Civic Players was Gypsy. Kasey and Grace Dabek (Norris) were dressers for the show. They were to dress the men (which they usually did). For timing purposes, it was best to have the two women waiting on stage in front of the hotel so they could quickly follow the men off and do the costume changes. This was fine for a while until the two women began to pad their parts. Each rehearsal and each show the women came in earlier, brought on more props and added more schtick. This progressed until Director Jim Matthews said, "If this goes on many more nights, we will have to give you lines." It is rumored they did take a curtain call.

Kasey, as a director, enhanced that role with equal notoriety. Everybody Loves Opal starred the late Olly Copeland with Kasey as director. The two women decided they were going to do everything they could to promote this show. After decorating the stage with some of the most outrageous props that Opal would have had in her apartment, they decided to dress up and go downtown. There are many Traverse Citians who will remember these two with their little winter hats pulled down over their eyes and their little red wagon full of Opal treasures walking down Front Street. It worked. They sold lots of tickets.

Kasey remembers the time TCCP was invited to do an exchange of plays with the Manistee Civic Players. It seems they decided to all go down on a bus together. Several people brought libations with them and by the time they got to Manistee they needed time to sober up before they could go on stage. They made it through and gave a good performance, after which they were invited to a party by the Manistee Players. Her only real concern was that the bus driver was drinking right along with everyone else.

Kasey also performed in the melodramas that were staged as fund raisers at the Park Place dome. She was one of the few who performed at the Dome before acquisition of our current home here at Old Town Playhouse and knew some of the secrets of moving from a rehearsal space into the Dome with only one night to rehearse. She is probably the only currently active person who has performed in all the venues of the Civic Players.

She remembers a time when TCCP had to be careful about the content of their productions. She was cast in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolff and had to back out because " a teacher in this town just could not say those lines."  Dtill, she remains active to this day and will hopefully remain so for many more plays to come

In her real life, Kasey taught art in the Traverse City Area Public schools while she raised four young Civic Players. Bridget and young Joe were in some plays. Her former husband, the late Joe Kilpatrick, was also an active performer with TCCP. They are responsible for some of the most notable parties that no one can remember.

 Kasey performed in the 20th Anniversary of TCCP written by Tom Schill and performed at Dill’s Old town Saloon. She also had the part of the Charwoman in the 25th Anniversary Show, written by Gary Garrison and Jeanette Mason and performed as part of the 1985 season. Hopefully, she will perform in some capacity for the 50th.

Please give a warm welcome to our third honoree of the evening, Kasey Kilpatrick.