Winter, 2009

The past year has been a busy one, both for Old Town Playhouse and the reactivated State Theater, with lots of Playhouse volunteers crossing over to help with the rebirth of the onetime Lyric, now the State.  Chief among them was Al Thompson, who had undoubtedly had a longtime passion to manage a movie house.  On Christmas Day, 2007, when the sleeper hit, JUNO opened (and took the movie world by storm, with a wonderful cast, including Olivia Thirlby, of the local Thirlby family) Al and Barb and his daughter Kerensa (visiting from L.A., where she works as a still photographer in the film industry) were all busy working the refreshment stand, with Al running the projector.  For a time Al was employed by the State, but now is back at the Playhouse, once again building sets.   Lars Kelto (Officer Lockstock in the recent URINETOWN) made a spoofy video for the State about the common usher (hominae popcornus) that featured Rick Korndorfer and most of the cast of CABARET, and later did a Film Festival video with Brett Nichols, Sherry McCarty, and Hannah Weckler as a family trying to catch everything at the fest, including the Madonna documentary, which sold out early on.  Sherry also appeared in a student film with Rodney Woodring as a disfunctional couple (he had dreams of being a superhero).  The Film Festival itself was well represented with Playhouse people, including some who returned from other places,  *********************** The first OTP show for 2008 was A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, directed by Joe Kilpatrick (his first on the Mainstage).  Dan Mello gave an excellent rendition of Stanley Kowalski opposite Karen Haspas as Blanche.  Ed Mulcahy was off beat as Mitch, and Stuart Mitchell (of ANGEL STREET) and Alissa Korson made a delightfully sparring married couple.  Alissa played her second southerner (after THE HEIDI CHRONICLES), and would do so again in THE FOREIGNER, before her wonderful straight lead in URINETOWN.  ****************  At about this time I signed up for Laura Mittelstaedt's adult acting class, which was populated by such OTP volunteers as Don Cox, Phil krull, and Stephen Rine. Stephen was paired with Amy Ruopp (mother of talented children's theater actress, Sage Deagro Ruopp) in a scene from PICNIC.  Watching them rehearse the scene, I could see that Amy, too, had strong potential, and I encouraged her to audition for the Stephanie Young directed play, PERFECT TIMING at the Old Art Buiding in Leland.  Amy was cast as a 17 year old (her actual age then was 40) and was given a non speaking add on as a maid.  Al Lien (as an oh, so sexy artist) and Dan Jablonski ( as a very proper banker) were also in the cast.  Amy then went on to a lively chorus role in URINETOWN, where her naturally energetic persona was put to good use.  *******************   Billie Thompson directed a very solid production of KEELY AND DEW, with Tina O'Rourke outstanding as the pregnant woman held captive.  Previously she played the young girl in my one-act, THIS PROPERTY IS CONDEMNED, and I feel proud of the part that show had in developing her as an actress.  She's appearing this year as one of the hookers in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST.  **********************  INTO THE WOODS had previously been directed by Jeanette Mason in the 1990's, but she did an entertaining reprise that reunited two of the sisters from 1987's CRIMES OF THE HEART (real life sisters Leah Capper and Mimi Spaulding) playing Cinderella's wicked stepsisters.   The solid cast also indlude Sarah (Hampton) Bielman, Sally Goggin, Christopher Peterson (soon to be seen in the Studio theater show, PANACHE), Cynthia Van Maanen, Shakyra Eady, Matt Archibald, Brett Nichols, Meg Parker, Keith Firstenberg, Michael Kania, Bonnie Deigh, Don Kuehlhorn, Sarah Quigley, Lars kelto, Christina Nichols, Cathy Tallman, Nicolle Girard, and talented newbies Gretchen Augustine and Meg Howard. *************   Thomas Webb made his directing debut with SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR in the Studio Theater.  He had two wonderful leads in Rodney Woodring and Jill Anton.  The play was given an ambitious (for Studio) promotion, but the public response was worth it.  ************  Ed Mulcahy directed THE FOREIGNER, which previously played at the Cherry County Playhouse (with Bob Denver) and Michigan Ensemble Theater.  Our production had excellent leads in Keith Firstenberg (the title role) and Jennifer Weil.  Patrick Feak was hilarious as a mean spitited Ku Klux Klan leader.  I was a Klan member, wearing a robe left over from the MET production.  It had previously been worn by an actress named Melinda, which happens to be the first name of a dear friend who worked for 4 1/2 years as a waitress at the 310 Restaurant and is now a nurse at Munson.  Another longtime acquaintance in the show was Geoffrey Wallace, now an Interlochen student, who did a fine turn as a young southern hick.  He  also played Sganarelle in the Jan Dalton directed THE DOCTOR IN SPITE OF HIMSELF, which I did in college in1962 (different role).   *************************  Brianna George (daughter of Dale, sister of recently wed Kristy) made a reappearance as a maid in a Children's Theater production of Ibsen's A DOLL'S HOUSE.  She's even taller than big sis was.***************    With high school graduations in June, the theater community said goodbye to many young performers, including, Margaret Parsons, Abby Alexander, Rob Marsh, Erin Reidel, and Jessica Elliot.  But some of them went out in style.  Jessica was in Miracle Productions's THE WIZ; Margaret played opposite Riley Leiter as Juliet in the Guy Molnar directed ROMEO AND JULIET (which saw Nan Worthinhton's son, Kit Tholen stepping onto the role of the prince and getting a black eye during rehearsals, as did other actors in the swordfighting scenes).  Abby and Rob directed an inspired production of JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH for theChildren's Theater, a more technically sophisticated show than you might expect from kids their age.  My best wishes to all them, several of whom are studying theater seriously in college.   **********************    Brett and Kristina Nichols married during the '07 Gala; this year they had their first baby during the show's rehearsal period.  Their son's middle name is "Oscar", after the character he played in SWEET CHARITY, the show that began their romance (yes, they played the romantic leads).  ********* Theater North got themselves a permanent home in the Grand Trunk Theater in the old train depot near the library.  They presented two plays previously done at the Playhouse: LADY IN WHITE and ESCANABA IN DA MOONLIGHT. with their original Playhouse casts, and a newbie, David Mamet's GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS.  I saw the latter excellently done in Chicago, and this production compared favorably, with a solid hand picked cast (Rick Korndorfer, Joe Kilpatrick, Rodney Woodring, Louis Rodriguez).  Denni Donn Hunting directed.  ************Two back to back musicals opened the Playhouse mainstage season: NUNSENSATIONS, directed by Kris Hains, which featured the return of Lisa (Walter) Blackburn, a late 80's veteran of shows like ANYTHING GOES, CINDERELLA, and others.  She played Sister Mary Leo.  Barbara Goodearl was Mother Superior, and once again Diana DiMarco Morgan appeared as Sister Robert Anne, a role that has almost become her signature.   Jennifer Archinald and Shakyra Eady were Sisters Mary Hubert and Mary Leo.  Author Dan Goggin is related by marriage to our own Sally Goggin.  ***********  URINETOWN, directed by Phil Murphy, was an offbeat winner, with great music (and spoofery of many other musicals) making you forget the off the wall plot about peeing for free despite a 20 year drought.  Jamie Moyers, who a year ago had left for Chicago, returned and played a delightful Little Sally.  I had the part of Brett Nichols's father, with Mimi Spaulding as Mom.  New faces from ROMEO AND JULIET who were involved include Joe Shoup (Hot Blades Harry and set design) and Jeanette Hagberg (spotlight and backstage), who celebrated her 20th birthday.  Nick Viox (Officer Barrel) and Gage VanderMeer (Little Becky Two Shoes) made memorable debuts; Gage is now a nurse at Munson, where hopefully she'll meet Melinda.  Keith Firstenberg was excellent as the villain, and romantic lead Alissa Korson showed how far she's come since CAROUSEL.  ************** Cinder Conlon returned as Studio director with the prize winning RABBIT HOLE , about a couple's coping with the death of their son.  Bonnie Deigh and Rodney Woodring were excellent in the leads, and new OTP Executive Assistant, Carleen McCall was fine as the sister. Tom Cillufo replaced Interlochen bound Geoffrey Wallace as the driver of the fatal auto and was solid.  *******************   Set designer Ginny Hamilton and her sister, Fran Haage have started a new business, Life's Helping Hands, where they will serve as companions to the elderly and persons newly out of the hospital.  May their business thrive, even in a poor economy.       

Hedges Macdonald

hedges@chartermi.net