March, 2000

1968 "Never Too Late"  Director: Ruth Mahaney Barnes.

1969 "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"

1970 "Pajama Game" Director Pat Hagar.
         "Cactus Flower"  Director: Kasey Kilpatrick.

1972 "Mame" Director: Pat Hagar. A very young Eric Simon made his OTP debut as a young Patrick Dennis.

1974 " Hello Dolly" (first production) Director Jim McKinney.

1976 "1976" Director: Jim Matthews. Deputy Don Melvoin played Ben Franklin.

1977  "Fiddler on the Roof". Jeanette Mason debuted as director with this first production. Tom Schill was Tevya. Tom Olkonnen played his first role and began to wear his trademark cap. Phil Murphy debuted playing Perchik. He would play Tevya in 1994.

1978  "My Fair Lady" director: Dave Campbell. Phil Murphy was Henry Higgins. OTP debuts of Steve Morse and Mike Nunn, who did double duty as orchestra member and the bartender. Both Morse and Nunn, along with Tom Olkonnen, would participate in the 1998 production.

1979 "Man of La Mancha" Director: Jeanette Mason.  Mike Norton was Don Quixote and Tim Koch was Sancho Panza. Carlene Saints(Peregrine) had the female lead. Micheal"Stosh" Kay designed the staircase. Loraine Anderson of the Record-Eagle got a whip and a bridle for the show.  She later headed props for other productions.

1980  "Li'l Abner" Director: Dave Campbell.  Assisstant Director: Jan Campbell(Fisher), Dave's then wife. Mark Williams was Li'l Abner, Lee Thomas (the future Mrs. Tom Koch) was Daisy Mae, and Pete Nelson wasMarryin' Sam. Many debuts, including Hedges MacDonald as the green suited Evil Eye Fleegle, Bart Ingraham as Alf Scragg, and Marlene Bevan as Moonbeam McSwine. Final appearance of Lyle Rushlow. Only appearances of Record-Eagle editor John McKinney in a quartet of singing scientists. Don Shikoski took to the boards for his only role as Senator Jack S. Phogbound; he would marry Peg Brace the following fall.
Moonbeam's pig was live up until opening night. Her ad lib squeals during certain musical numbers caused the substitution of a Miss Piggy puppet.  Chris Chinnock's dog, Nadine, on the other hand, was better behaved and stayed for the whole run. Chris later acted in the Studio Theater and provided a gorilla costume for "Cabaret".   Longtime OTP volunteer Bill Stokes had his last role as General Bullmoose, although he participated in other ways for a while longer.

1982 in the Studio, "The World We Live In"(The Insect Comedy)  Director: Jane Linder. The first two acts of Karel Kapek's comedy were performed. MaryScott O'Connor made her OTP debut under her name, Mary Roach. Other cast members included Micheal Lemcool, Vicki Mikowski, Lois Neinhouse, Linda Veliquette, Chris Chinnock, and Hedges MacDonald, who remembers the closing night party and a certain dessert brought by the director.

1983 :  "The legend of Billy the Kid" Children's Theater in the Studio, Directed by Tom Stokes.

1984  "South Pacific" Directed by Dave Elliott. Denny Bechtelheimer was Emile De Becque. College freshman Tonya Steed was Nellie Forbush: Marta Hallett was Bloody Mary(understudied by Carrie Roberts). Elderly Henry Schneidewind was an unusual choice for Stewpot. Neal, Todd and Michelle Breagh all appeared - Todd in his last OTP role as Luther Bullis. Also in his last role was Mark Williams, playing Lt. Cable, who later married his Liat, Pat Gomez, and moved to Minneapolis, where he did regional theater. Pat McCord (Ensign Janet Mc Gregor) would see her daughter Molly appear with Hedges Macdonald (Henry the servant) in  "The Cherry Orchard".

1985 "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"  Director:  Dave Elliott. Terri Heffron was the narrator. The fun cast included Eric Simon and Thom Wagner.

1987 "An Evening in the Irish Countryside" in the Studio. John Kelly's directing debut with two one acts - "Riders to the Sea" by John M. synge and "Twining of the Rope" by Douglas Hyde. Cast included Denni Don Hunting, Kevin Thomaszewski, Hyler Whitney(his last OTP Role), Kathy Kosevar, Hedges MacDonald.

1988 "Jesus Christ, Superstar" (first Production). Directed by Phil Murphy. Performances dedicated to the memory of Eric simon.
Dennis Wiley made his only OTP appearance as Jesus. Brian Dungjen and Tom Sisco shared the roles of Judas and Pontius Pilate. Karen Mikowski debuted as Mary Magdalen; Nan Worthington was Calpernia; Pete Nelson, Caiaphas; Gary Nault, Annas; Mark Staycer, Herod; Mike Blashill, Simon Zealotes(and Jesus understudy). Nick Demose choreographed and played one of Judas' tormentors. Another tormentor, Nicholle Girard, would choreograph our 2000 production.
Cast members of this show may recall the time Phil Murphy and Brian Dungjen disagreed over the use of body mikes.

1989 "Extremities" in the Studio Robert Roush's OTP directing debut. Deborah Sexton had the lead made famous on Broadway br Farrah Fawcett. James Russell was the menacing male lead.

1990 "Da" in the Studio. Director: John Kelly

1991 In the Studio, "Muchas Gracias for Les Flores".

1992 In the Studio, "Angel City" Director: Kevin Thomaszewski.
         "1,000 Cranes", Theater for children, directed by Don Kuehlhorn

1995 "To Jerusalem" in the Studio. Terry Lawrence's debut as playwright/director. Gary Bolton played Jesus and Matt Crawford was Judas. Heather Kent was stage manager.

1996 "Secret Garden" on mainstage, Director: Nancy Sundstrom.

Michelle Perez began her OTP life backstage on this show.

1997 "Guys and Dolls"  Director: Kris Hains  Two of the leading players, Jennifer Dongvillo whose onstage sweetie was Jeff Curtis, and Matt Archibald (paired with pregnant Suzi Sines) developed a real life romance and later wed. Pete Misiak and Doug Grant weren't romanticalay involved with anyone but were funny in supporting roles.

1998 "The Music Man". Phil Murphy returned as a mainstage director after a 7 year hiatus. Brian Dungjen was a memorable Harold Hill, playing opposite lauren Snowday's Marion the librarian. Her husband, H.T. Snowday was around, but his wife Alma Hix, was Kathy Kocevar, making a welcome return after 11 years. H.T.'s mom, Peggy Snowday, also appeared. Helping, to shape the family nature of this show were Nan Worthington and son Kit Tholen (his debut), theWagleys and the Kelseys (four year old Hannah Kelsey was a delight in her first appearance anywhere), Pete Misiak had his last role as the mayor of River City.

Performances were dedicated to the memory of Bud Gordon.

1999 "A Chorus Line" Director: Kris Hains, Producer: Chris Wendel, For years the artistic Board had been afraid of this show, but it came off well.  Suzi Sines was a Puerto Rican dancer. Tamara Hunter and Jacob Kramer were paired for the second time (the first was in "Forum" the previous summer), this time as husband and wife. Judy Harrison and Matt McCormick played the leads, Cassie and Zach. Cari Burke made her final OTP appearance, Other familiar faces were Carey Owens, Jennifer Dongvillo, Don Swan, Gillian Bell, Inger Jay, Pat Cotner, Jeff Curtis, Nancy Flowers, and Stephen Henderson.

Performed at West Junior High School auditorium, the performances were dedicated to the memory of Frank Herta.

2000 "Jesus Christ, Superstar" (second production) Director: Terry Lawrence, who had her second opportunity to work with the characters of Jesus and Judas (after "To Jerusalem"), This time the period of the show is the 1950's- The Dungjen family is well represented, with Brian returning as Judas, Bill playing Jesus, and Bill's wife Susan Littlefield Dungjen as Mary Magdalen. Memories of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" will be stirred, as both Jacob Kramer and his substitute as Hero, Turner Sato (following Jacob's accident) both take the stage. Jacob will understudy the role of Jesus as well as his regular part, Others returning after long absenses include Gil Anderson (playing Caiaphas), Heather Furlong, and Mini Spaulding-Diede (remember her in "Crimes of the Heart"?)

2001 "City of Angels", to be directed by Phil Murphy. This award winning musical has no more connection with the tv series about inner city medics than it did with the 1998 movie about  real life angels coming from heaven to Earth, although there is a good possibility that some cast members could be African-American.
Stay tuned.