April, 2000

1960 You Can’t Take It With You  Director: Camilla Damoose   OTP’s very first production, it was performed at what is now TC Central in their auditorium.

1961 Arsenic and Old Lace    Director: Bill Morey  He later moved to Hollywood and played character roles in several films.

l962       Outward Bound      Director: Bill Morey.

l963         Life With Father    Director: Bill Gravlin.

l973        A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Director: Jim Matthews.  The first musical production staged at our present facility, at that time, the First Christian Church. Hedges’ first OTP audition for the part of Erronius. He wasn’t cast but played the role 25 years later in our second production.

l974        The Solid Gold Cadillac    Director: Charles Kull.  Tami Potter of the Potter’s Pastry family and later an employee at Dill’s was a senior in high school and played the role of a secretary.

l975        Bell, Book, and Candle Director: Bev Thornburg.

l976       You Know I Can’t Hear You When the Water’s Running  Director: Jeanette Mason [directing debut at OTP]

l98l        The Line [Studio] Director: Bill Stokes. The cast included Jim Rink and Bobbi Dwyer.

1983      Chicago Director: Pauline Tyer Bart Ingraham played his only lead in a musical. Brian Dungjen debuted in the chorus. Carlene (Saints) Peregrine had the female lead and Bev Atwood ran the prison for merry murderesses.

1985      Getting Out Director: Pauline Tyer An adult drama that introduced Denni Don Hunting to OTP audiences as the mother of a newly released female convict. Julie Million, normally a soft-spoken young woman, surprised everyone with her tough, tart-tongued performance of the daughter at a younger age. Anne Marie Oomen and Steve Stafford had small parts.

1986       The Dining Room (Studio) Director: Kathy Greene  The cast included Leana Lehr.

1986        And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little Director: Steve Stafford Cast included Terri Heffron, Jill Beauchamp, and Gary Nault. It served as Mary Bos’s debut at OTP.

1987       West Side Story  Director Pauline Tyer   The cast was a combination of actual juveniles and adult players who looked convincing. Tony Valerio portrayed Tony and Interlochen student, Olga Irrizarry was Maria. Irrizarry is reportedly related to Vincent Irrizarry, who was playing Lujack on The Guiding Light. Some cast members made much of Valerio’s Italian-American background, forgetting that the character was Polish-American. The name Tony was short for Anton. Tyer made some choices that were not universally popular, such as opening Act II with the violent last scene from Act I, because she wanted to put greater emphasis on the love story. Nadine Stanton, a dance instructor at Interlochen, played Anita. Others in the show included Brain Dungjen, James Russell, Kelly Curtis, Diana Morgan, Doug Schroeder Jr., Jeff Curtis, and newcomers Scott McManus, Leah Spaulding, Amy Horn, Bryon Kuhlman, and Lisa Beckwith.

1989 Sweeney Todd Director: Phil Murphy This ambitiuos musical, though a troubled production with some cast members departing for a brief period before returning, was a major artistic achievement for OTP. Several major roles were played by faculty and staff from Interlochen, David Klement and Carlene (Saints) Peregrine were Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett respectively. This was Carlene’s last appearance at OTP. Others were Lyle Brown, Mary Cassaday Jones, a future Executive Director of OTP. Also appearing were Nan Worthington, Nancy Brick, Don Kuehlhorn, John Kelly, Rob Rountree, Delphine Welch, Lisa Beckwith, Billie Thompson, Susan Bramer, and Mike Blashill.

1990 Forty Second Street Director: Bev Atwood Featured Mike Nunn in his turn as the lead.

1991 Oklahoma Director: Pauline Tyer Pete Misiak was Curly; Nadine Stanton was the female lead; Denni Don Hunting was Aunt Eller; Mike Blashill was Ali Hakim; Jeanette Mason was Ado Annie; Brian Dungjen was Judd Fry.

1992 Into the Woods Director: Jeanette Mason Marci Hall’s final Otp appearance as Little Red Riding Hood.

1993 The Great American Backstage Musical Director: Pat Easterday

1994 Fiddler on the Roof (Second Production) Director: Jeanette Mason Phil Murphy was a brilliant Tevye. Denni Don Hunting portrayed his wife Golde. Gary Nault and Steve Morse were in the cast. It was Chris Smith’s final appearance at OTP as one of the five daughters.

l995 Little Shop of Horrors  Director: Pat Easterday. OTP debuts of Mary Lou Iauco Bewley, Brian Hale, Rebecca Epps, Terri Sue Liford, Jennifer (Dongvillo) Archibald, and Christy Savage. Veteran OTP players included Jeff and Kelly Curtis Jeremy Evans, Tom Czarny and James Russell. Paddy Brown produced, Michael “Stosh“ Kay designed “Audrey II", Bill Dungjen designed Mr. Mushnik’s hair, Judy Harrison choreographed, and Joe Rice and Sam Clark shared conducting chores.

l996 Burn This (Studio)

2000 The Woman in Black Director: Scott Bufe’. Scott debuts as an OTP director with this mystery thriller which reunites  Mike Kelly and Jan Dalton—director and lead actor from Dial M for Murder— as two characters who recreate a chilling episode from the older man’s (Kelly) past on an empty stage. The incident involves the spooky title character who never speaks but easily strikes one speechless with fear. Mike’s role requires him to convince the audience at the outset that he’s a bad actor (a definite challenge for him), but he quickly learns the ropes and is delightful. Newcomer Casey Wolf handles the scary lady with a physicality that those who have seen her at OTP’s Sunday night improvs can appreciate.

Condolences to thhe family of Joe Kilpatrick, who passed away March 6. Joe stage managed Li’l Abner and many other shows, appearing in Guys and Dolls, Pajama Game, and the first A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. OTP veteran Kasey Kilpatrick is his ex wife and Bridget Kilpatrick (The Shadow Box, Cabaret, Kismet) is his daughter.

Two new moms Kris Hains (son Nicholas) and Wendy Roberts (son Patrick).

To Jacob Kramer who juggled “Jesus Christ Superstar” rehearsals with directing and acting in sketches from David Ives’s collection called All in the Timing as a benefit for the NMC drama program. Jacob and NMC player veteran Chris Franklin each directed two sketches and acted in one. Jacob directed Franklin in a sketch that also featured OTP volunteer Shawne Benson, which Franklin had previously directed at NMC last year as well as performing it in high school. Quite a challenge for a novice director, but when you’re understudying both Jesus and Judas, nothing is impossible.

To Sarah (a.k.a. Psaira) Baty who was one of ten finalists in an opera competition for Michigan high school students. Three other finalists were also from this area. The final competition will be in Warren, Michigan on May 7. Sarah along with Cat Widdifield appeared in OTP’s A Chorus Line last season, both recently appeared in TC West’s production of Pirates of Penzance, a show often discussed but never chosen for performance at OTP.

To long time OTP supporter. filmmaker Rich Brauer ( Sleeping Bear, The Lost Treasure of Sawtooth Island) is cinematographer for the currently filming Escanaaba in 'da Moonlight written, acted, and directed by Jeff Daniels. OTP looks forward to performing the play version in the future.