START YOUR THEATRICAL CAREER AT PCPH!

Do you want to be a famous stage performer? While you’re waiting for Broadway to call, why not start out at Putnam County Playhouse?

Director Brad Sandy will conduct two sessions of auditions for the Joseph Kesselring classic comedy Arsenic and Old Lace. Auditions on both days will be at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre. You can attend on Sunday, July 12, at 3 p.m. or Monday, July 13, at 7 p.m.

The play will be produced September 3-5 and 9-12. Corporate sponsor for the production is

Old National Bank

All roles are available. They include the Brewster sisters, Abby and Martha, whose hobby just happens to be murder. The three Brewster brothers Mortimer, Jonathan, and Teddy who each reacts in a different way to the antics of the sisters.

Other roles include Elaine Harper, Mortimer’s girlfriend; Dr. Einstein, a criminal crony of one of the brothers; Reverend Dr. Harper, Elaine’s father; and Lt. Rooney, a local policeman. Director Sandy says there are many other smaller roles for men including other law officers and local officials.

For more information click on the Arsenic and Old Lace tab under the Current Season drop down menu above.

Start your acting career here at PCPH. And don’t forget to thank us when you win the Tony Award!

STUDENTS TACKLE SHAKESPEARE!

SHAKESPEARE: 1  STUDENTS: 2

The first production of this season at Putnam County Playhouse was Kiss Me Kate, a popular musical re-telling of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. The Youth Theatre Workshop will present its own versions of the popular tale on Saturday, June 27.

The Middle School Age performance will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $3 for ages 12 and up, those younger are admitted free. One ticket will be good for both performances. Tickets will be available only at the door when the box office opens at 6 p.m. that evening. Following the first performance, there will be a 15 minute intermission, and then the High School group will present its show at 8 p.m. There will be no advance sales and all tickets are general admission.  Tickets will be available during the intermission for those wishing to attend just the second show.  These tickets are also $3, with admission free to those 12 years of age and younger.

The middle school age group will be presenting a condensed version of The Taming of the Shrew. It is being directed by Alisa Isaacs-Bailey. with assistance from Tim Good and Roxanne Wheeler. The cast spent an intense 10 days putting together the show. Isaacs-Bailey says she thinks the opportunity to work on a stage in front of an audience is great fun for the cast.

Appearing in this production in leading roles are Sofia Carillo as the title character, Dylan Bodnarick as the groom who tries to tame her, Hannah Brattain as her sister, and Ethan Gill as her father. The three suitors for the hand of her younger sister are Nathan Gizesiek, Elijah Brattain, and Alex Briones. Others in the cast include Chloe Maginity, Madeline Hayes, Libby Brush, Clara Parrish, and Katie Rose Parsons.

Others in the middle school group appearing will be Alina Carillo, Emma Bodnarick, Abe Anglin, Lily Spencer, Daniel Carillo, Alex Stoffregen, Taylor Runnels, Rebecca Moore, Susanna Howard, Callie Bailey, Chloe Bodnarick, and Grace Merrell.

Next up onstage, the high school age group will present its own take on the show in The Taming of the Shoe. Adapted by director Caroline Good, this version includes modern music, comedy, and improv. Good is assisted by DePauw student MacKenzie Travers. This is Good’s third year to produce and direct the Youth Theatre Workshop, and she has been pleased with its popularity and the talent of the participants. “It’s as much a challenge for us as it is for them,” she said. “The audiences fill the theatre and its great to see the performers respond

the reaction of the crowd.”

Starring roles in The Taming of the Shoe will be taken by Ashley Smith and Aaron Hunter as the battling couple; Emily Buchanan as the younger sister being pursued by Ty Fauvergue, Tyler Benware, and Kenny Buchanan (who had a leading role in Kiss Me Kate). Other leading characters are played by Joseph Pejril, Alex Asbell, Olivia Humphreys, Allison Howard, Haylie Romer,

Joe Lippard and Kaeli Gray.

Taking other roles are Emily Gill, Sara Prewitt, Brianna Reed, Frank Pejril, Luke Hunter, McKenzie St. Marie, Sarah Tran, Katie Hedge, Jessica Maginity, Lauren Good, Nicole Hurst, Abby Mitchell, Tyler Henry,

Calvin Timm, and Gareth Reed.

Technical and other assistance is by Tony Canady and Jon Good. Andrew Hayes is the fight choreographer.

AUDITIONS THIS WEEKEND

There will be two sessions of auditions for the musical Man of La Mancha this weekend at Putnam County Playhouse. The first session will be at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 14, and the second will be at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 15. Both sessions will be at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre in Greencastle.

[PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE ARE THE CORRECT AUDITION DATES AND THAT THOSE IN THE SEASON TICKET BROCHURE AND THE

KISS ME KATE PROGRAM ARE INCORRECT]

The musical will be produced August 6-8 and 12-15.  It is being sponsored by Duke Energy Foundation.

All parts are available. Those auditioning should bring sheet music. An accompanist will be provided. Everyone wanting a role in the production will be required to sing. There will also be readings from the script and a short audition for movement and dance.

There are speaking/singing roles for about twelve men and six women. Director Jack Randall Earles is looking for performers age 16 and up. Roles include Miguel Cervantes (the title character); his squire, Sancho Panza; Aldonza, the bar maid; The Innkeeper; The Duke; The Priest; Antonia, niece of Cervantes; and his housekeeper. All of these roles have solo singing parts.

The ensemble acts as characters in Cervantes’ telling of the tale of Don Quixote during the course of the evening. More information can be found by clicking "Current Season" in the menu above and choosing

Man of La Mancha.

An audition sheet can be downloaded

HERE

It is a PDF document.

YOUTH WORKSHOP ENDS ENROLLMENT

Director Caroline Good is no longer accepting applications for the PCPH 2009 Youth Theatre Workshop.  Any application received after June 4 will be returned.

Both classes are now filled!  Your response is appreciated and we hope to see you at our show on June 27!

SPACES STILL AVAILABLE IN

YOUTH THEATRE WORKSHOP

There are still some openings available for children in the Youth Theatre Workshop. The applicants should be entering grades 6-8. The group will meet Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. beginning June 15. A performance will be given at 7 p.m. on June 27. The workshop is free.

Download an application at the

Youth Theatre link above under the

Current Season Menu

or contact Caroline Good at:

Cgood@depauw.edu

PCPH OPEN HOUSE ON MAY 31!

Putnam County Playhouse kicks off its 48th season with an open house on Sunday, May 31, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free and the public is invited. Light refreshments will be served.

Season tickets will be on sale that day. May 31 is also the first day for single session tickets sales for all of the productions of the season. The box office will open at 2 p.m.
Scenes from the musical Kiss Me Kate will be in rehearsal during the event.

Board members will be on hand to answer questions from the public.

GET `SHAKESPEARED'!

Putnam County Playhouse will conduct its 2009 annual Youth Theatre Workshop beginning Monday, June 15. Interested students should be enrolled or entering middle school

or high school age, or just beyond. No audition is

required and the workshop is free!

Both groups will work on a version of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The younger group, directed by Alisa Isaacs-Bailey and assisted by Tim Good and Vickie Parker, will rehearse and perform a colorful condensed version of the play.

High school students, directed by Caroline Good, will creatively collaborate on a more wacky version entitled The Taming of the Shoe that will include a soundtrack of popular music.

Director Good says that in addition to learning the play, students will play theatre games and receive instruction in acting skills, movement, voice, improvisation, and swordplay designed to challenge the young player and de-mystify the bard's lively text in a fun and engaging experience. They will then directly apply those skills as they rehearse their version of

The Shrew/Shoe.

The groups will meet daily for two weeks. The middle school group will meet from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and the high school students will meet from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. A final performance will be given on Saturday, June 27, at 7 p.m. at the

Hazel Day Longden Theatre.

Tickets for the performance will be available at the door.

We welcome all participants and there will be plenty of parts for everyone. We do not hold auditions per se, but we do cast the roles according to interest, experience, and vocal abilities. Therefore, it would be beneficial to have some

familiarity with the play coming into the workshop.

Check the Youth Theatre Workshop tab above under "Current Season" to download an application. Deadline for application is June 10. The Workshop usually fills up fast, so apply today!


AUDITIONS FOR MYSTERY AT PCPH

Director Shelly McFadden will have two sessions of auditions for the mystery thriller The Mark of Cain at the Putnam County Playhouse.

The first session will be at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 10. It will be followed by a session on Monday, May 11, at 7 pm. All auditions will be held in the Rehearsal Center at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre in Greencastle.

The cast of three males and three females includes two married couples: Sean and Dale O’Neill, a young couple who are vacationing in a cottage by the lake; and Otto and Molly Sorenson, an older local couple. Also to be cast are Dr. Eugenia Clifford, a psychiatrist in her 40’s or older, and Michael O’Neill who is Sean’s brother, an identical or fraternal twin.

A mystery-thriller by Peter Colley the author of I’ll Be Back Before Midnight, this show will be the second production of the 2009 season and will be presented July 8-11 and July 12-15.

More information can be found by clicking The Mark of Cain link in the Current Season menu above.

The Mark of Cain is sponsored in part by

Rossok & Company Insurance

KISS ME KATE AUDITIONS UP NEXT!

The 2009 season at Putnam County Playhouse will begin when director Vickie Parker conducts auditions for Cole Porter’s musical

Kiss Me Kate.

The two sessions will be held on Sunday, April 5, at 3 p.m. and Monday, April 6, at 7 p.m. All auditions will be at the Hazel Day Longden Barn Theatre on Round Barn Road in Greencastle.

The award-winning musical tells the tale of Frederick Graham and Lilli Vanessi, a divorced couple who are involved in a musical production of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. The complications between them and the other cast members make for a rollicking “show within a show” premise that has please audiences for more than 60 years.

All roles are open. Those auditioning must have a song prepared. An accompanist will be provided. There will also be readings from the script and a dance audition conducted by choreographer

Lita Sandy.

The show will open the 2009 season and will be presented June 4-7 and 10-13.

For more information click on the link above and read all about the show, the characters,

and the auditions. 

You can also download an audition form!

See you there!!

************************

We have replaced our Message Board with a new FaceBook Group!

Please join in and enjoy the fun this season!

Putnam County Playhouse On Facebook

BE ONSTAGE AT PCPH IN 2009!

Make your plans now to be a part of one of our productions in 2009!  You can have fun, make new friends and be onstage in one of four shows.

How do you start?  All of our shows are cast by the audition process - the same way professionals get their roles on Broadway! 

All parts are open, and preparation is the key!  Be familiar with the show you are auditioning for - read it before the audition.  Listen to the music and choose an appropriate audition song.  And most of all come to have fun! 

Clicking on the links for the individual shows above will give you the information you need!

We hope to see you at auditions!

Kiss Me Kate

Sunday, April 5 @ 3 p.m.

Monday, April 6 @ 7 p.m.

The Mark of Cain

Sunday, May 10 @ 3 p.m.

Monday, May 11 @ 7 p.m.

Man of La Mancha

Sunday, June 14 @ 3 p.m.

Monday, June 15 @ 7 p.m.

Arsenic and Old Lace

Sunday, July 12 @ 3 p.m.

Monday, July 13 @ 7 p.m.

2009 FUND DRIVE BEGINS

The annual Fund Drive for Putnam County Playhouse is now in progress.

If you enjoy our productions, please think about making a donation to us.  Any contribution to our Fund Drive is tax deductible as we

are a 501(c)3 not-for-profit entity.

You can make a contribution in any denomination. If you give at least $25, you will be listed in the programs for all of our Mainstage Productions for 2009.

If you are on a mailing list, you will soon received a letter and donation card.  If you have NOT received your letter, or you wish to make your donation now, just click on the "Contact Us" link above.  There you will find a Fund Drive Form that you can fill out and send to us directly.

Thanks so much for your support.  PCPH is an all volunteer organization.  Every dollar you give us is used to maintain our facility and for production expenses.

Thanks again.  See you at the barn!

KULLAN EDBERG WINS 2008 UPSTAGE AWARD!

The Upstage Award for 2008 was awarded to actress Kullan Edberg for her role in Singin' In the Rain.

Kullan played Lina Lamont, the role played by Jean Hagen in the film version.  Hagen was nominated for a Supporting Actress Academy Award for her work.  Singin In the Rain was directed by Ric McFadden. 

Through special arrangement with Bethany Girton and Greencastle High School, board member Ernie Ford presented the award to Kullen after the Thursday evening, November 13, performance of the musical Snoopy!!!

Congratulations to Kullan. 

ANNUAL MEETING COMING UP!

The annual meeting of Putnam County Playhouse, Inc, will be Sunday, November 2, 2008, at 3 p.m. The meeting will take place in the Rehearsal Center at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre.

You are cordially invited to attend.

As a supporter of PCPH, you will get a good idea of what happened during the past year. Each committee chair will give a report on its activity for the 47th season. You will also have a chance to offer your suggestions to keep the Playhouse growing in the years to come.

Light refreshments will be served, and the PCPH fellowship is always entertaining.

New board members will also be elected. And the presentation of the annual Upstage Award will be made. You won’t want to miss seeing the winner’s face! (And the losers’ faces as well).

See you there!

2009 Season Announced

Music, Comedy, Mystery

The Putnam County Playhouse season for 2009 offers two premieres and the return of two audience favorites. A season ticket for next year will get you four evenings of great entertainment.

Indiana’s own Cole Porter will kick off our season in June when we produce his Tony Award winning musical Kiss Me Kate. Last produced at PCPH in 1983 and directed then by Vickie Parker, the show is a rollicking show within a show. Fred and Lilli Vanessi are divorced, but still decide to star in a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Complications include Fred’s new girl friend Lois and her boyfriend Bill. And how do those two gangsters end up in tights onstage? Popular songs from the score include “Always True to You In My Fashion”, “So In Love”, and “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.” This musical enjoyed a revival on Broadway in 1999, and you can see it on our stage in June 4-7and June 10-13.

The Youth Theatre Workshop will take place June 15-26 with a performance on June 27.

Three seasons ago, PCPH audiences enjoyed the scares and mystery of I’ll Be Back Before Midnight. For 2009, we present The Mark of Cain by the same playwright, Peter Colley. There are thrills and laughter and mystery when a young man and his new wife return to his summer cottage. His identical twin, a dangerous schizophrenic, breaks out of the asylum and arrives at the cottage to terrorize them. The Mark of Cain will be produced

July 9-11 and July 15-18.

The musical premiere for 2009 will be Man of La Mancha. With a book by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by Joe Darion, and music by Mitch Leigh, the show is one of our most requested. When Spanish poet Miguel de Cervantes is thrown into prison, he takes on the guise of his own creation Don Quixote and takes his fellow prisoners on a spiritual journey. This musical was revived on Broadway to great acclaim in 2003. An affirmation of life and the human spirit, Man of La Mancha is most famous for its song “The Impossible Dream.” It will be presented August 6-9 and August 12-15.

The season will close with Joseph Kesselring’s comedy Arsenic and Old Lace. The Brewster sisters are still poisoning people.  It was last produced by PCPH in 1986 (then directed by Larry Sutton).  All your favorite characters return in this classic American comedy. It will be produced September 3-5 and September 9-12,

Directors and audition information will be on the website after January 1! Plan to join us for another season of fun at Putnam County Playhouse. Thanks for your continued support!

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN

A Review by Larken

Residents are weary of the fact that Putnam County has had more than its share of rain and flooding this summer. However, theatre goers were anything but weary after attending Singing in the Rain which left everyone with huge smiles and humming familiar tunes. Under the creative direction of Ric McFadden and surrounded by a very gifted staff, the cast has tackled the ambitious and challenging musical with their spirit, their enthusiasm, their wonderful voices, and their tap shoes. As in the widely regarded musical starring Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor, the stage version is full of singing, tap-dancing, romancing and fun-filled antics.

Brad Sandy takes the Gene Kelly role as Don Lockwood, a silent-movie icon who is supposed to be in love with his co-star, but who actually loves another actress. His rendition of the title song “Singing in the Rain” has been creatively reproduced by choreographer Lita Sandy, and much to the delight of the audience, Sandy splashes his way around the stage with warmth and enthusiasm.

Playing Lockwood's best friend Cosmo Brown is Joshua Bain. Bain might have the toughest job here performing the famous "Make 'em Laugh" slapstick sequence. He makes the part his own with some truly impressive pratfalls, gymnastics and acrobatics, Like Sandy, Bain’s tap dancing expertise delights the audience.

Carrie Hamilton in the role of Kathy Seldon exhibits a beautifully warm voice in “You Are My Lucky Star” and “Would You”. The “Good Morning” musical number performed by Hamilton, Bain and Sandy is a real crowd pleaser and a platform to display the dancing talents of all three.

Also worthy of mention is Kullan Edberg as the phonetically-challenged Lina Lamont, Lockwood's on-screen love interest who would like to be his off-screen lover too. Edberg is terribly funny as Lamont, particularly in the scene where a "talkie" is first attempted. Her intentional lack of dignity and her irritable voice makes the character all the more annoying and she's a joy to watch. Also worthy of a mention is Steve Newland as the production singer. Surrounded by “Beautiful Girls” – a delight to see-- his tenor voice is also a delight to hear.

At times during the musical, hilarious black and white silent film clips featuring the cast are projected onstage on the large screen, evoking hilarious, over-acting and clichéd images of how the movies “used to be made.” Playhouse veteran Jim Poor’s role during one of the film clips as the man in the talking picture induced spontaneous laughter and applause as did other film clips.

Costume designer Shelly McFadden and her construction crew did a fantastic job as the costumes are fun and flashy and have all the glitz and sparkle of Hollywood in the 1920’s. Choreographer Lita Sandy stayed true to the musical in modeling many of the dance numbers from the well-known movie, while cast members very aptly moved and tap-danced their way through the show.

Rehearsal Pianist and pit conductor Marilyn Burdsall directs a small orchestra that adds just the right touch to the live musical. Set designers Ric McFadden and Bryan Schroeder managed to take multi-scenes in each of the two acts and design a set that allows the musical to move along at a steady pace. And the rain design certainly works well on the PCPH thrust stage, leaving great puddles for Sandy and cast to splash through. It is a veritable ballet of rags, squeegees, and mops at intermission as the cast and crew prepare for the second act.

Perhaps this reviewer should use the words of Lina Lamont. “If we bring a little joy into your humdrum lives, it makes us feel as though our hard work ain’t been in vain for nothin’”. McFadden, cast and crew’s hard work has certainly not been in vain. It does indeed bring joy and ranks among one of Putnam County Playhouse’s best shows ever.

PCPH GOES TO THE FAIR

President of Putnam County Playhouse, Michael McClaine, and secretary Kathryn Dory were at the Putnam County Fair on Tuesday evening, July 22. But they weren’t there for the elephant ears or even the rides.

The two officers of PCPH were answering questions and handing out brochures about PCPH to interested people who happened by the booth.

It was located in the Community/4-H Building among the adult-class exhibits.  The Putnam County Extension office sponsored the event, "exhibiting" inexpensive things to do in Putnam County. 

Mike told us:   "Many of the passers-by were aware of the PCPH - but 'hadn't been there in years.'  Also, several fair-goers new to the county were not aware of the Playhouse, and many brochures were distributed.  All-in-all, it was a good opportunity to promote the PCPH! "

Linda Gjesvold made the display board. Mike and Kathryn set up the display using photos from last season, season ticket brochures, the plans from the new rehearsal center and T-shirts.

SPEAKING OF WHICH......

ALL MY SONS

a Review by Larken

All My Sons, written by Arthur Miller, is the best drama the Putnam County
Playhouse has done in several years.

It's fair to warn you that it is depressing as just about any play can be, and it is difficult to watch; but I can tell you it is worth the effort,

All My Sons is a story about a businessman who made parts for airplanes during World War II. The parts are defective, which send 21 pilots to their deaths in the Australia. One partner was exonerated of any wrong-doing, and the other partner is in jail.

The play takes place a couple of years after the war, with the charactors struggling with the aftermath. The play won Miller a Tony in 1947. He has resolved to quit the profession if All My Sons wasn't successful. He needn't have worried. He also won a Tony for Death of a Salesman three years later. His most produced play, The
Crucible, was done at the Playouse in 1991 with Jim Poor directing.

The star of the Playhouse production of All My Sons unquestionably is Larry Sutton, who plays the lead character, Joe Keller. Sutton as been a fine actor for many
years, but he delivers this role just about

as well as anyone can.

In my view, the two other excellent performences in this play are Beth Girton, who plays Kate, Joe's wife, and Caroline Good, who plays Ann Deever, the girl who
fell in love with the Kellers' son Larry - who has been missing in action. Now she loves the other son, Chris, played by Keith Bodnarick.

Bodnarick does well in certain scenes, also his reading of some lines don't work quite as well as some of the other character's do. But he has his moments.

Sutton is called upon to do many different things in his role, and he never fails to deliver. Girton and Good do the same.

Jack Randall Earles, a 25-year veteran of the Playhouse, directs, and the characters are the testament of Jack's loving care with the actors. He has directed and acted in
several plays; this is one of his best.

The other characters (all of whom do a creditable job):

Billy Whitehouse plays Ann's brother George. He has a small role, but he does it very well.

Don Collins plays Jim Bayless, the local doctor, and Sandi Rossok who plays his wife. Rossok is probably the meanest character in the entire play.

Mathew Valeriane and Marian Zennie play local friends. Valaraine is new to the playhouse and he delivers some very funny lines.

Elijah Brattain is the neighborhood boy, and he does it well.

Tyson Myrick is the stage manager and assistant director. Linda Gjesvold designed the set and Sutton designed the lights. Rossok and Nancy Zennie designed the costumes.

Jim Green operated the sound board; Jessica Watson operated the lights; Alix Green helped Myrick as the stage crew.

Fine Print Book Store and Fine Print Printing sponsored the play.

Next up: Singin' in the Rain, which begins on Aug 7.

FOOTLOOSE

A review by Larken

Footloose is more famous as a movie than a play. It made $80 million in 1984,
which was a huge amount of money at the time. It starred Kevin Bacon, John Lithgow and Diane Wiest.

It made its Broadway debut in 1998, went on tour two years later, and since 2003,it has been performed at hundreds of high schools and theaters throughout the nation. This year it is at the Putnam County Playhouse.  Corporate sponsor for the production is Duke Energy.

The play is about a teen named Ren McCormack (played here by Matt Willard)and his mother Ethel (Julie Watson). They have moved from Chicago to the town of Bomont,a small town in the middle of nowhere. Trouble is, Bomont doesn't allow dancing, which is Ren's favorite thing in life.

The town is led by the Rev. Shaw Moore (played by Ric McFadden),who has the town so upset,that life is miserable for Ren and his mother. The reverend's daughter,Ariel (played by Brittany Brumfeld) doesn't agree with her father about much of anything. Her mother, Ethel (played by Tammy Hunter),tries to play peacemaker,with little success.

When Ren appears before the city council to get them to repeal the ban on dancing, Rev. Moore shoots him down. In the end though,Moore agrees that Ren is right, and then Ren and Ariel fall in love.

The Playhouse version of Footloose is a little light on the dancing,but there are
some outstanding performances.  In addition to the title tune,there are versions of "Let's Hear It for the Boy" and "Holding Out for a Hero", and other popular songs from the film.

Mr. Willard is a good dancer and a good singer, too. He is new to the playhouse,
and he should more back for more. His acting is better than passable and his scene before the city council is done very well. His song with Ms. Brumfeld , "Almost Paradise," will bring a tear to your eyes. Brittany is a veteran of the Playhouse and does a unusually fine job with her role.

Ms. Hunter does a great job with the song "Can You Find It in Your Heart," and she should come back for many other plays, also.

Four other actors should get special mention: Brian DeVore, who plays Willard,Ren's best friend. He has the best funny lines in the play. Ric McFadden, who is the Rev. Moore, does a fine acting job as does Julie Cox. Of the trio of singing friends of Ariel's, Mary Michael is also funny, and she has a very strong singing voice.

A few of the others in the cast are a bit light on their characterizations.

The two other friends of Ariel's are Haley Rutter and Julie Cox. Ren's friends are Clay Spencer, Alex Asbell, and Cy Spencer. Asbell does a fine turn in skipping rope a couple of times, and Clay Spencer and Asbell do good accompaniment during Willard's song, “Mama Says.”

Lita Sandy, the director, has directed musicals before at the Playhouse including Oklahoma and Grease. She does well with a script and music that should probably have stayed on the screen. Her cast doesn’t dance as well as we would have liked, but they do okay.

Kathryn Dory as musical director has the chorus working well, And Tara Gardner has a dance of her own that is lively.

Others in the play:

William Dory,who plays Chuck Cranton,the trailer-trash boyfriend of Ariel's; his friends, Aaron Hunter and Orion Oritz; Ren's aunt and uncle,Lulu and Wes Warncker (played by Lori Cox and Joshua Bain); the principal, Mr. Clark and Cowboy Bob (played by Brad Sandy),Babs and Betty Blast (played by Shelly McFadden),Coach Roger Dunbar (Brian Schoeder),and his wife Eleanor (Laura Gibbs).

The ensemble incluses Jessica Watson, Matthew Watson, Hope Strong, Steven
Turner, Michael Walters, Justin Cox, Katie Hedge, Sarah Dory, Lily Spencer, Hannah Homler, Taylor Stong, Addison Hughes, Noah Cox, Brian Cox, Elijah Brattain, Hanah Brattain, Lucia Povenelli, Alix Green, Hayley Steadmon, Hope Scanland, Nathan Grzesiek, Nicolette Peters, Jodi Buis, Kiersten Bousman, Mary Bousman, Madison Woodall, Roxanne Wheeler, Taylor Gannaway, Kristen Rumple and Lauren Good.

The musicians are Marilyn Burdsall, Mike McClaine, Drew Brattain, and Scott Humphries. Shelly McFadden is the assistant director, Lita and Tara are the choreographers, Bryan Schroeder is the stage manager and light designer, Brad Sandy and Shelly McFadden are the set designers, Jessica Bessell does the lights, Sarah McClaine and Brenda McClaine do sound and Brad Sandy, Sarah Dory, Bryan Schroeder and Shelly McFadden are the set construction crew.