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2008
PRODUCTIONS
The Blue Ridge
Community Theater presented the following productions to very responsive
audiences during 2008: McElvis Returns; Our Town; McElvis and Teen Club performance of
"Check Please"; An Evening With Mark Twain; The Foreigner; Short Haired
Grace; Rare Talent III, Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland, and Lend Me A Tenor.
We hope
you were able to enjoy them.
“Our
Town” by
Thornton
Wilder -
AUGUST
29 – SEPTEMBER 21.
Cast left to right:
Front: Lillian Smith, Azchary Cox, Sarah Cox, Bobby Whitley
Middle: Sue Canady, Rod Chamberlain, Elizabeth Hunt, Betty Ratcliffe, Ruby
Chandler, Julian Smith, Charlie Poss
Back: Director Tina Maslankowski, Bill Canady, Betty Wilson, Paul Estey, Alex
Nawrocki, Eileen Kerr, James Wood, Michael Lacy and Assistant Director Lee
Maslankowski
The
Stage Manager shows us glimpses of several days in the life of Grover's Corners,
New Hampshire
in 1900, 1903 and about nine years after that. The Webb and Gibbs families live
next to each other and their children Emily and George are childhood sweethearts
who eventually decide to marry. The Stage Manager examines everyday life from
several points of view, all of which prepares us for a harsh lesson: The living
seem barely aware of the miracle of their lives, and even less aware of how
fleeting a lifetime can be.
THE CAST:
Emily Webb - Ruby Chandler
George Gibbs - James Wood
Mrs. Gibbs - Sue Canady
Mrs. Webb - Betty Ratcliffe
Dr. Gibbs - Bill Canady
Mr. Webb - Paul Estey
Simon Stimson - Mike Lacy
Joe Stoddard - Rod Chamberlain
Howie Newsome - Tom Griffiths
Mrs. Soames - Betty Wilson
Constable Warren - Tom Mitchell
Professor Willard - Bill Alexander
Sam Craig -Julian Smith
Rebecca Gibbs - Sara Cox
Joe Crowell, Jr. - Bobby Whitley
Si Crowell - Lillian Smith
Wally Webb - Zachary Cox
Women Among the Dead - Elizabeth Hunt & Eileen Kerr
Man Among the Dead - Charlie Poss
Baseball Players - Charlie Poss & Julian Smith
BEHIND THE SCENES:
Director - Tina Maslankowski
Production Manager - Tina Maslankowski
Stage Manager - Alex Nawrocki
Assistant Director - Lee Maslankowski
Technical Director/Light & Sound Design - Lee Maslankowski
Box Office - Elizabeth Hunt
Costumes - Mary Hughes, Pat Webb, Sue Canady, Ann Record
Set Design - Tina & Lee Maslankwski
Set Construction - Joe Webb, Pat Hogan, Bill Jefferson, Bob Jennus, Bill Marsh,
Bobby Whitley
Set Painting Consultant - Steve Martin
Set Painting - Tina Maslankowski, Steve Martin, Mary CelConte, PatBaker
Fundraising - Joe Webb, Pat Webb, Lynda Thompson, Kelly Hornsby
Publicity - Janelle McCarthy, Mike Lacy
Cover/Poster/Art & Design - Steve Martin, Tina Maslankowski
Playbill - Jackie Smith, Steffen Smith, Joe Webb
Special thanks to all of our volunteers who have so generously shared their time
and talents, the spouses and families of the actors, Carolyn Griffiths, Nan
Nawrocki, Tater Patch Players of Jasper and Dalilah Davenport
Wedding L-R:
Paul Estey, Alex Nawrocki, Ruby Chandler, James Wood;
Ladder:
James Wood and Sarah Cox
Thornton
Wilder brings us a profound, strange, unworldly significance with “Our
Town”. This is less the portrait of a town than the sublimation of the
commonplace; and in contrast with the universe that silently swims around it; it
is brimming over with compassion.
McElvis
at BRCT!
Saturday,
July 26 at 7:30 p.m.
One
Performance Only!!
PLUS
Teen
Club performance of "Check Please"
An
Evening With Mark Twain (Kurt Sutton)
July 4 - 6, 2008
Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15 per person
The performance is presented in
the setting of Samuel L. Clemens' parlor. Here, Mark Twain will share his
wit, wisdom and humor. He encourages you to sing-a-long with the songs
with which he entertained his family and friends.
Mr. Sutton creates one of the
best Mark Twain shows in the nation. The veterans in the audience last
year said they were going to bring their friends and sell out this year's show.
“The
Foreigner” by Larry Shue, MAY
23 – JUNE 15.
It
is a stormy night in spring as two Englishmen, Staff Sergeant "Froggy"
LeSueur and his friend Charlie Baker, enter the log cabin fishing lodge owned
and operated by Betty Meeks in Tilghman County, Georgia, two hours South of
Atlanta.
Every year, Froggy serves as a munitions instructor for the American
army, and this year he has brought his shy and sad friend, Charlie, who is now
terrified about being left alone for three days with strangers while Froggy
leads his training sessions. Froggy introduces him as a "foreigner"
who can't speak or understand English. Overhearing the plot of the Reverend
David and Owen Musser to buy Betty's lodge and turn it into a meeting place for
the Ku Klux Klan, Charlie ultimately leads Betty, Catherine, and Ellard in a
successful fight against these villains that is uproariously zany comedy. It’s
fun for the whole family.
CAST of The Foreigner:
 Froggy
LeSueur - Ray Pigott
Ray is a UK
citizen and moved to the United States in 1990 as a Kodak employee. He retired
to Mineral Bluff in 2001 and loves the area because of its natural beauty and
the warmth of the local people. He has appeared in a number of barbershop shows
locally and sings in the St. Luke's Episcopal Church Choir. His last acting role
was that of Manolo in The Odd Couple in 2006. This
role of an East Londoner(UK) Army Sergeant is “right up his street”. As this
was exactly what his maternal grandfather was!
Charlie Baker - Duane Miller
Duane was born
in Ohio and lived in south Florida through High School. He moved to Union County
in 1990. He then moved to Atlanta until his wife finished college, Colorado for
seven years and then back to Blue Ridge. Duane has been on stage elsewhere in
such shows as The Bad Seed, You Can't Take it With You, Love Rides the Rails,
The Champion and Oklahoma. He would like to thank... himself for
being courageous enough and true to his spirit by re-entering acting and
expressing himself through doing something he loves! He loves his wife of
thirteen years and their beautiful five year old son, Trystin. “The outdoors
is my passion, but above all else, being a better person today than I was
yesterday through personal growth and seeking the deepest truths of life and
being.
Betty Meeks - Kay Thomas
Kay is
originally from Toledo, Ohio and now resides in Hiawassee, GA. Kay has been in
many, many shows including The Odd Couple (female version), Harvey, Bad Year
for Tomatoes, Ravenscroft, Deathtrap and The Diary of Anne Frank. She
has Stage Managed for Nunsense, The Sound of Music and others. In her
spare time Kay enjoys reading, crocheting and catering to the whims of her cats.
Kay would like to thank Tina and the Blue Ridge Community Theater as well as the
whole state of Georgia! “I wasn't born here, but I got here as soon as I
could”.
Rev. David Marshall Lee - Jason Boskey
Jason
is originally from
Chicago
. He now lives in
Blairsville
,
Georgia
and is very excited to be on stage here at BRCT. Jason provided play-by-play
announcing for the 2007 United States Curling Junior National Championship in
Seattle and he now owns, runs, and produces the programming for Boskey Radio
West, an Internet radio station that plays music and off-beat programs. Most
recently, Jason played “The Voice of God” in the Banker’s Hour and was
previously in the Independent Film “10 Yards”. He is also a member of
Mensa.
Catherine Simms - Norma Bean
I was born in Baltimore, MD.
My family relocated in 1967, and I spent most of my childhood in South Bend,
Indiana, before moving to Snellville, GA for my senior year of high school. Four
years ago, I married Randy who lived in McCaysville, GA, which is where I now
call home. Combined, we have 6 children ranging in ages 27 down to 12, and 5
dogs (yes, 5!!). I work at the Sawmill Restaurant in Blairsville, GA (YUM!!),
and I welcome all of my friends and family to this performance. I have been
involved in Community Theater since I could walk and talk. Other performances
fro BRCT include Lend Me A Tenor (Julia), Nunsense (Sister Leo), Eleemosynary
(Dorothea), Foxfire (Stage Manager), Steel Magnolias (Truvy),
and The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (Mrs. Beaver). I would like to
dedicate my performances to my biggest “fan”, Randy. Thank you for all of
your love and support. Love and “leg breaking” go out to the cast and D and
Mike!
Ellard Simms - Charlie Poss
Charlie is a
Fannin County native. He was in many shows at Fannin County High School such as
Jane, Robin Hood, West Side Story, Aladdin, The Nutcracker, The Best Christmas
Pageant Ever and Shrew. He would like to thank his parents, Mrs.
Burgess, Mrs. Dalila and his family and friends. Charlie also enjoys being a
wrestling manager and football manager.
 Owen Musser - Phil Avery
BEHIND THE SCENES:
Director - Michael Lacy
Production Manager - Tina Maslankowski
Assistant Director - Dalila Davenport
Stage Manager - Elizabeth Hornsby
Technical Director/Light and sound design - Lee Maslankowski
Stage Hands - Joey Roderick, Grant Ensley, Doug Davenport
Box Office - Elizabeth Hunt
Costumes - Mary Hughes
Props - Kathi Ivey
Production Consultant - George Ramsey
Publicity - Janelle McCarthy, Barbara Hogan
Set Design - Mike Lacy
Playbill - Steffen Smith, Joe Webb
Cover/Poster Art & Design - Steve Martin
Set Construction - Joe Webb, Bill Marsh, Frank Moore, Pat Hogan
Set Dressing - Barbara Hogan
Set Painting - Beth Inman, Tina Maslankowski
Fundraising - Joe Webb, Pat Webb, Lynda Thompson
Special Thanks to all of our volunteers who have so generously shared their time and talents and to Lynn
Pigott.
Short
Haired Grace
Performances
will be Saturday May 3rd at 7:30 pm and Sunday May 4th at
2:00 pm
L-R:
Bill Bruehl, Lucy Rollin, Kimberley Campbell, marty Bruehl (Narrator) and Roger
Rollin
The
Blue Ridge Community Theater is honored to have been selected to host a dramatic
reading of Short Haired Grace ~ a short full-length play by Bill Bruehl.
Short
Haired Grace is a play based on the actual conversation between Queen
Elizabeth I and the pirate Grace O’Malley.
For forty years during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558 – 1603),
Grace O’Malley dominated the seas off the west coast of Ireland, leading a
band of Irish pirates whom the English were unable to defeat.
Finally, when both were in the sixties, these two powerful women met in
London at the Queen’s invitation. That
is history. How they dealt with each other is finally revealed in the
play…
This
play has been bought for the 2009 Lake Geneva Wisconsin Summer Festival of
Plays.
In
addition however, Bill Bruehl has agreed to conduct a masters acting workshop
FOR
FREE
Saturday
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:00 am
This
one to two hour event will be a “Text” workshop. Participants need a
script or a monologue and be fully willing to participate. Observers,
however, are welcome and encouraged.
This
event provides a great opportunity for any writer that has considered script or
screenplay writing. Even if you
haven’t thought of it before, this workshop will get you thinking about how
that short story, prose, or poem may be able to transition in to a theatrical
production.
While
teaching “actor responsibility to the play, the director, the blocking and the
working words”, Bill seeks to teach actors to surprise each other at each
performance to keep the play alive and fresh, while staying true to the text.
Bill
Bruehl taught theater at SUNY Stony Brook before moving to the Upstate seven
years ago. He has been involved with theater since he was a toddler of
two and considers himself a “Theater Person”.
Bill is an Equity Member and belongs to the Professional Drama Guild.
Mr. Bruehl, as Director, has brought over 100 plays to the stage and has
acted in many. Bill’s family
consists of his wife Marty, and his two daughters.
Amelia lives with her family in the Netherlands and Alexandra in Sante Fe
with her fiancé’.
Cast
of Short Haired Grace:
Kimberley
Campbell (Granuaile aka Grace O'Malley) was born and
raised in the UK and moved to America with her parents in 1978. She graduated
from the North Carolina School of the Arts in 1981 and has performed with
the Clemson Players, the Clemson Little Theater and the Highlands Playhouse in
NC. She presently manages Foothills Family Medicine, in Westminster, SC,
and is VP of Memorial Ecosystems Inc. She is married to Billy Campbell, MD, and
they have one daughter, Raven, and two mental Jack Russell’s, Phoebe and Zoey,
and one lovely stray dog, Rosie , who has more sense than anybody in the family.
Lucy Rollin (Queen Elizabeth I) has
participated in a number of productions at theatres in the Clemson, SC, area.
With the Clemson University Players she appeared in Equus, Tartuffe, and Harvey. In
community theatres she has appeared in Angel Street, Sylvia, and Everything
I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. She particularly enjoyed the
roles of Gillian in To Gillian…on her 37th Birthday, the
snake handler in Talking With…, and the poet in A…My
Name is Alice. She is a retired professor of English.
Roger Rollin (Cap't Richard Bingham) is
a Past President of the Clemson Little Theatre and, as William James Lemon
Professor of Literature Emeritus, former deadwood in the Clemson University
English Department. Only an occasional actor, his favorite roles were as
"Pat" in Brendan Behan's The Hostage, "Elwood P.
Dowd" in Harvey, and "Kent" in King
Lear. His current role is as Secretary of the Piedmont Chapter of
ACLU-SC, for which he routinely garners hisses and boos.
Marty Bruehl (Narrator). Her stage
credits are ancient. Her most recent "stage presence" has been in
leading seminars and providing consultations for the Alban Institute.
As a Senior Consultant Emeritus, she spent two summers facilitating teen
chaperones at the Seeds of Peace program in Maine. She met her husband,
Bill in a college play - Hand's Across the Sea.
Bill Bruehl (Playwright &
Director) has been in the theatre literally all of his life. He is an
Equity actor, a member of the Dramatists Guild having written 25 plays many of
which have been produced all over the USA and in Rome, Italy. He has
directed over a hundred productions in amateur, university, and Off
Off-Broadway theatres. So even now he'd rather mop the stage
than sit and watch.
RARE TALENT III - Friday and Saturday,
April 25th and 26th
You won't want to miss this year's
fun-filled and highly entertaining weekend of music, comedy and improv.
It's a perfect way to come out and play! Tickets are general admission
$15.
Sunny
D Children's Theater presents "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll's book adapted for the stage by Tim Kelly
March 28-30 & April 4-6
Director - Tina
Maslankowski
SUNNY
D CHILDREN’S THEATER GOES TO WONDERLAND
PICTURED
L-R Ross Alexander, Hanna Sims Meghan Beaver
The
Sunny D Children’s Theater will be bringing up the curtain this spring on the
magical story of Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland.
 
Lewis
Carroll’s classic book was adapted for the stage by Tim Kelly and will be
directed by Tina Maslankowski. Assistant Director is Pat Webb with scenic design
by the director and Bill Marsh. All hands are on deck for such a
production with costume design by Eleanore Buchanan, Ann Sims and Anne Record,
lighting and sound design by our Technical Director Lee Maslankowski and
choreography by Denver Clark.
Alice
in Wonderland is a triumph of imagination in which nonsense cavorts with
meaning in a celebration of language. It reminds us to question what is
conventional and believe what can be extraordinary. “We believe that the best
way to work through a riddle is to inhabit it. That’s what we’re doing with
the entire production and that’s what we’re inviting the audience to do”,
said Maslankowski. “It’s going to be a ride!”
“This
staging of Lewis Carroll’s fantastic journey is full of surprises and
re-imagined characters”, says Maslankowski. “And, like
Alice
, these kids face enormous riddles of reality on a daily basis. The rules
change for them, time is fluid for them and their relationship to the world is
in a continual state of flux. Because they already live in Wonderland, they are
the most receptive to Wonderland, no matter how it is conceived.”
Sunny
D is very proud to have more than a dozen new comers in this cast of 24 older
kids. The average age of the cast is 15 so the targeted audience ranges from
around the age of five though viewers of all ages. All attendees are sure
to enjoy this “over the top” presentation of “Alice”.
CAST:
Alice - Meghan Beaver
Alice Understudy - Darcy Arnall
White Rabbit - Joey Roderick
Mouse - Alice Holden
Mock Turtle - Ciera Hudson
Dodo - Heather Fillingham
Lory - McKayle Barrialut
Red Queen - Erica Lalak
Queen of Hearts - Hanna Sims
Soldier One - Katie Gent
Soldier Two - Rachel Tompkins
Jack Of Hearts - Carrie Baker
Caterpillar - Madison Upshaw
Cook - Megan Little
Duchess - Lindsay Arp
Cheshire Cat - Grace Little
Tweedles - Jesie Turner
Mad Hatter - Ross Alexander
March Hare - Allie Lindstrom
Dormouse - Abigail Anderson
Rose - Heather Fillingham
Lily - Darcy Arnall
Daisy -Ciera Hudson
White Queen - Diamond Keener
Knight - Samuel Sims
Humpty Dumpty - Bobby Whitley
King of Hearts - Morgan Tinker
Sister - Diamond Keener
BEHIND THE SCENES:
Director - Tina Maslankowski
Assistant Director - Patricia Webb
Producer - Kelly Hornsby
Costumes - Anne Record, Ann Sims, Eleanore Buchannan
Set Construction - Bill Marsh
Stage Hands - Josh Voyles, elizabeth Hornsby
Set Painting - Pat Baker, Beth Inman, Kathleen Holt, Susan Marsh, Robbie Muschamp, Patch Hreha, Josh Voyles, Kelly Hornsby, Ciera Hudson, Katie Gent, Heather Fillingham, Madison Upshaw, Bobby Whitley, Lee & Tina Maslankowski
Special Props - Larry Raybon
Publicity - Janelle McArthy, Robbie Muschamp
Technical Director - Lee Maslankowski
Light & Sound Operators - Patch Hreha & Lee Maslankowski
Box Office - Robbie Muschamp, Susan Marsh, Elizabeth Hunt
Choreography - Denver Clark
Cast Appreciation - Robbie Muschamp
Special Thanks:
Floyd Smith and North Georgia Paper Co. for the use of their building as an off-site rehearsal space. We couldn't have done this play without you!
Excel Graphics
X-Trem Graphics
Steve Tompkins and the Copper Basin High School Media Club
Multitudes Gallery
The parents and family of the cast and crew
“Lend Me A Tenor”
by Ken Ludwig,
FEBRUARY 22nd – MARCH 16th
Director - Sonia Smith
Pictured
Left to Right:
Back
Row: Micah Stuart, Daniel Parrish, Wayne Roshaven, Mike Lacy
Front
Row: Sophia Swain, Jode Hanson, Norma Bean, Beth Inman, Denver Clark
"Lend Me a Tenor"
by Ken Ludwig and directed by Sonia Smith, is a clever and wildly entertaining
contemporary farce that “sends audiences on a wild romp of desperate measures
and compromising situations.”
In simple terms, farce
is broad, basic comedy in which confusion, mistaken identity, innuendo and
slapstick are key elements. Max, Assistant to Mr. Saunders, goes on to
give the performance of his life and win his heart’s delight, Saunders’
daughter Maggie. But before a happy ending for all, chaos reigns in this
spectacular “farce de résistance”. Audiences are in for a delightful
and amusing treat as one side-splitting adventure after another unfolds for this
outrageous cast of characters.
by Ken Ludwig and directed by Sonia Smith, is a clever and wildly entertaining
contemporary farce that “sends audiences on a wild romp of desperate measures
and compromising situations.” In simple terms, farce is broad,
basic comedy in which confusion, mistaken identity, innuendo and slapstick are
key elements. Max, Assistant to Mr. Saunders, goes on to give the
performance of his life and win his heart’s delight, Saunders’ daughter
Maggie. But before a happy ending for all, chaos reigns in this
spectacular “farce de résistance”. Audiences are in for a delightful
and amusing treat as one side-splitting adventure after another unfolds for this
outrageous cast of characters.
by Ken Ludwig and directed by Sonia Smith, is a clever and wildly entertaining
contemporary farce that “sends audiences on a wild romp of desperate measures
and compromising situations.” In simple terms, farce is broad,
basic comedy in which confusion, mistaken identity, innuendo and slapstick are
key elements. Max, Assistant to Mr. Saunders, goes on to give the
performance of his life and win his heart’s delight, Saunders’ daughter
Maggie. But before a happy ending for all, chaos reigns in this
spectacular “farce de résistance”. Audiences are in for a delightful
and amusing treat as one side-splitting adventure after another unfolds for this
outrageous cast of characters.
by Ken Ludwig and directed by Sonia Smith, is a clever and wildly entertaining
contemporary farce that “sends audiences on a wild romp of desperate measures
and compromising situations.” In simple terms, farce is broad,
basic comedy in which confusion, mistaken identity, innuendo and slapstick are
key elements. Max, Assistant to Mr. Saunders, goes on to give the
performance of his life and win his heart’s delight, Saunders’ daughter
Maggie. But before a happy ending for all, chaos reigns in this
spectacular “farce de résistance”. Audiences are in for a delightful
and amusing treat as one side-splitting adventure after another unfolds for this
outrageous cast of characters.
CAST:
Max - Micah Stuart
Saunders - Wayne Roshaven
Maggie - Sophia Swain
Tito Merelli - Mike Lacy
Maria Merelli - Beth Inman
Diana - Denver Clark
Julia - Norma Bean
The Bellhop - Daniel Parrish
BEHIND THE SCENES:
Director - Sonia Smith
Production Manager - Tina Maslankowski
Stage Manager - Jode Hanson
Voice Coach - Wayne Roshaven
Technical Director/Light & Sound Design - Lee Maslankowski
Box Office - Elizabeth Hunt
Costumes - Anne Record, Mary DelConte
Props - Wanda Jefferson, Mary DelConte
Publicity - Janelle McCarthy, Mike Lacy
Playbill - Jackie Smith, Steffen Smith, Joe Webb
Cover/Poster Art & Design - Steve Martin
Design Consultant - Steve Martin
Set Floor - Lee & Tina Maslankowski
Set Design - Steve Martin, Joe Webb
Set Construction - Joe Webb, Allan Buchanan, Bill Jefferson, Bill Marsh, Bob
Jennus, George Southmayd, Chuck Gorder, Ted Mcwilliams, Albert Kraft, Ed
Ratcliffe, Frank Moore, Tom Kimmel
Set Painting - Beth Inman, Sophia Swain, Steve Martin, John Post
Fundraising - Joe Webb, Lynda Thompson, Pat Webb, Kelly Hornsby
Special Thanks to: All of our volunteers who have so generously shared their time and talents, and to Marv Barton, David
Alfrey, Fred Romano, The Mattress Store, Victor Morgan, and Mr. & Mrs. Molinari for Italian voice coaching.
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