Winter, 2005

The first half of the 2004-05 season has been characterized by challenging shows, some with a bit of controversy, and the problems of filling out casts, both large and small, made more difficult in some cases, by departures of actors from roles they had been given. The show that came together the easiest was Ed Mulcahy's rendition of the well remembered Kathy Bates movie, MISERY. Maria McKane and Joe Kilpatrick were excellent in the Bates and James Caan roles, and the technical effects were awesome. The first mainstage show was the Stephen Sondheim musical, ASSASSINS, which proved to be director Terry Lawrence's final show for us. She had wanted to do the show ever since she directed Sam Clark (now the show's musical director) in a scene from it as part of a directors' workshop a decade ago; it took that long for an artistic board to approve it for a mainstage schedule. Many older audience members didn't care for it, particularly big fans of President John Kennedy, but younger audience members loved its edginess and unconventional humor. I sort of fit in the middle; it was a very well staged show, with some fabulous music and many interesting historical tidbits, but I didn't always consider the title characters worthy of this wonderful treatment. Al Lien, as presidential assassin, Samuel Byck, wore a Santa Claus suit and carried a sign requesting his Constitutional rights; after the show, he wore the same costume and carried the same sign, this time with new wording, promoting a jewelry store's sale, down Front Street. Brian Dungjen was John Wilkes Booth and then directed a production of OUR TOWN for the Leelanau Players which also featured Lien. Rob Stowe had a memorable scene where he went to his hanging singing about GOING TO THE LORDY (his dropping down on the gallows brought back memories of SWEENY TODD). ASSASSINS did bring in some new band members and new backstage crew which had previously worked for stage manager Jenn Miles on shows at West Senior High and a hard working lady from Hagerty Insurance.******* The problems of staging 2 back to back large cast musicals became readily apparent when our second mainstage show, MAME went up. Sally Goggin was a delight in the title role, which she commuted from Cadillac to do, but many other roles were more difficult to fill. Nancy Sundstrom was supposed to play Vera Charles but was involved in a traffic mishap and had to be replaced by Nan Worthington, who did an admirable job in a role that was not in her vocal range. Jody Burns, a chorus member from PETER PAN, played my daughter, a role older than her 14 years, and did it well. Joe Rice directed the orchestra and newcomer Treva De Jong did the vocals. Christy Anderson did her second character lead in a row as Agnes Gooch; Playhouse audiences who have only heard her sing this role have no idea what a beautiful singing voice she truly has. Playhouse veteran, Henry Schneidewind passed away the day we opened, and cast member Margaret Anne Slawson lost her father; Barbara Goodearl had to fill in for her for one performance in addition to her regular part as my wife. Former Playhouse volunteer, Bette Wilette lost her husband about the same time; my condolences to all. Several of the ASSASSINS crew people and numerous cast members came back for backstage duty on MAME, some of them finding themselves also stepping into cast vacancies; Michelle Perez did a fine job managing the behind the scenes. Cast member Maggie Racich followed this show by appearing with Elise Curtis at NMC in YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, and then doing a cameo in the Leelanau Players' dinner theater show OUT AT SEA at Hattie's Restaurant in Suttons Bay with Jan Dalton, Al Lien, and upcoming Studio Theater lead, Nick Randall, who had a wonderful physicality in his role of a starving shipwreck victim. Maggie will play Dorothy this spring in the Northport School production of THE WIZARD OF OZ. Maggie never saw the late Gilda Radner play confused weekend update commentator, Emily Litella on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, but her grandma (gender switched from Grandpa) in the college play was amazingly similar. Two actresses, Jamie Moyers and Esme Bloomquist first met in this show, became friends, and will play THE PRETENTIOUS YOUNG MAIDENS in the Studio Theater this spring. *********** Our next Studio production, WIVES OF AN AMERICAN KING has seen some wives and kings come and go, but the current cast looks to make this a memorable show, with TCCT player, Kendall Laskowski stepping into her first regular role after being an apparition last summer in MACBETH. With an Anne Marie Oomen script and Jeanette Mason directing, it should be a winner. ****** PROOF, which is opening on the Mainstage, brings back two former actresses, Gracie Brauer (daughter of Rich) and Danielle Corelle, who shared a juvenile role with Lindsey Campbell in 1997's WAIT UNTIL DARK, which was directed by PROOF director, Mike Kelly. PROOF also gives Gary Bolton his first role since Terry Lawrence's TO JERUSALEM a decade back (he's been too busy with tech and directing to try out for anything). Mike is dividing his time between this play, his new theater company, Theater North ( mounting 1940'S RADIO HOUR this spring at the Trillium), and a film project with Rich Brauer; his Saturday hair styling in Detroit is now a thing of the past. ***** Our last Studio project of the season will combine 3 one act plays by Shaw, Moliere, and Chekhov, and 3 directors, two (Wayne Errecca and Stephanie Leach) making their Playhouse directing debuts. Jan Dalton will produce the show and direct the third. ****** In closing, let me offer congratulations to Kathy Kocevar and Mark Laguire and Mike Collison and Kirsta Wilson for their recent weddings and to the newly engaged Joe Kilpatrick, Brian Dungjen and Michelle Perez, and Stephanie Leach and John Young. Bill Dungjen, who got his certification to perform weddings off the Internet will perform his brother's wedding.


Hedges Macdonald

hedges@chartermi.net