Notes from the President

Transcription

1 KIRKWOOD THEATRE GUILD CALLBOARD February, 2011 Notes from the President Robert Thibaut, his cast, staff, and crew did a wonderful job with a Perfect Wedding. Our audience just loved this farce. Congratulations are in order to all involved, Perfect Wedding set a new door sales record for a non-musical! The Heiress is around the corner. I hope you can assist the cast and crew to pull this one together. The construction will be different from what we are used to but I do not want to give any secrets away at this time. I can t wait to see what Jan Meyer has in store for us and am looking forward to seeing the production, as the cast, staff, and crew have already been hard at work. Coming up next are the auditions for Curtains. We have a great director, Adam Grun, who will be leading the production staff, cast, and crew. This play has so many great parts (both large and small) for a wide range of ages. I hope to see many of our members come out. If you are cast in this production, I can guarantee that you will have a lot of fun under Adam s direction while still putting in some hard work to pull the show off. Well, we are half way through our 80th season and half way through my first term as President. I am constantly amazed by our wonderful members. It seems that our members are always there when we need them to pitch in and help and always willing to assist in teaching all of us. I feel so blessed to work with so many talented and wonderful people.i am constantly learning something new from all of you. Since it is almost spring, we have already been busy working on our 81st Season. The Board has again tasked the play reading committee with the nearly impossilbe: to find some newer plays, some older options, some farces, some dramas, something a little more edgy (without going over the top), and plays with a mixture of both mature and younger roles. We wanted a little something for everyone, that will appeal to the masses. We were extremely pleased with what the committee recommended.. For our 81st season we are pleased to announce that our productions will be Noises Off, Doubt, Nana s Naughty Knickers, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Wow! What a line-up! This is where you all come in. With a season like this and we are going to need everyone s help; great directors, talented actors, committed technical staff, and dedicated crew. I would like to thank the play reading committee for a great job and Kent Coffel for heading up the effort. I heard that they had so much fun that they are holding a monthly play reading club. This is a new take off from Oprah s book of the month club. I know that we can t please everyone but it is my hope that you will find the whole line up or most of the line up as something wonderful. I believe it has a little something for everyone. It certainly is going to be a challenge but I know that our members are always up to a challenge and are always willing to pitch in. Until the next Call Board, be safe, happy, and healthy! Our toast for this Call Board: To our future, may it be long, prosperous, and fun. SOME BIG CHANGES FOR KTG S 81st vthe KTG Board of Governors is pleased to announce that we are adding a matinee to our Season ticket subscriptions on the 2nd Sunday, with strike to immediately follow. vauditons scheduling is changing too! Auditons for show 1 are gonig to be held 3 weeks before Green Tree, for shows 2, 3 & 4 auditions will be held the first weekend of the previous show. Please, see our website for details. The Heiress by Ruth & Augustus Goetz Directed Jan Meyer Opens March 4th

2 Auditions for CURTAINS March 13th 2 pm Robert G. Reim Theatre, 111 South Geyer Rd. Kirkwood, MO Performance dates: April 29, 30, May 1, 5, 6 7 Directed by Adam Grun Book and Additional Lyrics by Rupert Holmes,Music and Additional Lyrics by John Kander Lyrics by Fred Ebb Original Book and Concept by Peter Stone Synopsis: A backstage murder mystery set in 1950 s Boston. The cast and crew of a Broadway-bound musical all become suspects after the show s leading lady mysteriously drops dead onstage while taking her final bow to the sound of applause. LIEUTENANT FRANK CIOFFI (40s): Local Boston detective who is also a musical theatre aficionado. Aside from being exceptionally good at his job, he has also aspired to be a musical theatre performer his entire life. He falls in love with Niki. Vocal Range: Baritenor Ab-E NIKI HARRIS (20s-early 30s): Pretty, naive ingenue. Niki is a chorus girl/understudy in the chorus of the show-within-the-show during its Boston tryout. She aspires to make it as a performer on Broadway. She meets and falls in love with Dt. Frank Cioffi. Actress must have legit Soprano and good comic timing. Vocal Range: Soprano C-E GEORGIA HENDRICKS (30s): Female half of our songwriting team. Ends up taking on the leading lady role. Must sing and dance well. Vocal Range: Belt G-E CARMEN BERNSTEIN (45-65): Brassy Broadway producer. Terrific comedic actress who sings well. Vocal Range: Belt Low Eb-E AARON FOX (40s): The composer of the show-within-the-show. His songwriting partner, Georgia, is also his wife from whom he s separated. He s a charming ladies man. Strong tenor. Piano playing not necessary but helpful. Vocal Range: Baritone Bb-Gb SIDNEY BERNSTEIN (Late 50s-Mid 60s): The producer of an out of town flop. Sidney is tough and self-serving. Seeking a character actor with good comic timing. CHRISTOPHER BELLING (40-60): English director. Very campy. Very funny. Requires a good comic lead actor and British accent. Vocal Range: B-E BAMBI BERNE (Early 20s-early 30s): Performer in chorus and daughter of Carmen, the lead producer. Hungry to work her way up to leading performer many think she was only hired because of her mother. Bambi is an excellent dancer/comedienne who sings well. Vocal Range: C-C DARYL GRADY (30s): A Theatre critic for the local Boston newspaper, he enjoys using the power he has to make or break shows during their out of town tryouts. NON-SINGING ROLE. JOHNNY HARMON (40s-50s): The Stage Manager of the show-within-the-show. Johnny is a character man who is gruff but lovable. He keeps the company in line and on their toes throughout the rehearsal process. OSCAR SHAPIRO (45-65): The general manager. An agreeable if slightly gruff man. He is always looking for any angle to find money. Seeking a good comic actor who sings. Vocal Range: Bb-E BOBBY PEPPER (20s to early 30s): The choreographer and leading man a Gene Kelly type who is the one shining star in an otherwise dire show. A ladies man. Seeking a strong singer who dances well. Vocal Range: A-E JESSICA CRANSHAW (30s-40s): Fading Hollywood star. A diva, who has no right to be one, she is a terrible singer and actress who stars in the show within a show and gets murdered on its opening night. MOSTLY NON-SINGING COMIC ROLE. RANDY DEXTER (20s to early 30s): Singer/Dancer who is playing the role of Parson Tuck in Robbin Hood. Audition Requirements: You will be taught a dance. Please come with the right shoes. Even some non-singing roles might have to learn dances. So be prepared. Please prepare 32 bars of a song from an appropriate musical. o Do not sing anything from the show. o Please bring sheet music in the correct key. o We will have an accompanist o No a cappella Auditions will be Sunday March 13 starting at 2 pm. o They will learn the dance o Sing their song o Read from the scene Callbacks will begin Sunday night at 6 If someone would like to set up another time to audition, please adamgrun@hotmail.com o A date will be set that will work for the majority of the people that want to audition. vvv NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY Rehearsals will be every Tues., Wed.,Thur. from 7-10 pm & Sun. afternoons at the Kirkwood Community Center beginning 3/14/11. Tech week begins 4/23/11.Please be prepared to list all conflicts at the audition. Please do not audition if you are unable to attend ALL tech week rehearsal sand ALL performances. BEHIND THE SCENES v CALL FOR DIRECTORS~KTG will be interviewing Directors for next season on 4/11/11 & 4/18/11. To apply to go our website, ktg-onstage.org to get an application or call Terry at to request one. v BIG THANK YOU! During our recent production of Perfect Wedding our concessions were managed by two groups raising money for the people of Haiti. They raised a total of $1240. What an amazing group of patrons! Thanks to all who continue to support the local non-profits. v SPRING IS COMING (REALLY!)~ Do you have some time to help KTG spruce up our warehouse/office yard? With the new season we will ARTS be FOR raking, LIFE trimming and cleaning up. If yard work is Reserve your passion your table this is now! the right opportunity for you. Please $15 call in advance Terry, $17 at the door and arrange a time to help. Why not bring a friend? Reservations-call v SAVE THE -aflnewsletter@aol.com DATE. The KTG Annual Meeting and Year End Celebration will be held on Sunday, June 12th. Invitations will Location: be sent to Christ all active Memorial members. Church There is still plenty of time for you to 5252 become S. Lindbergh, an active member~just volunteer for one of our upcoming productions. Call Terry to event details~ find out more Bob Hotze~Take A Bow KTG NEEDS YOU! Set-Build~The Heiress Saturday, February 19th For those who can tote & carry Move-in starts at 9 am Build starts at about 10 am Painting and detail work to start late am. Work continues Sunday, Feb. 20th ~10 am and in the evenings during the week (time to be determined) Continuing on February 26th at 10 am. Questions? Please contact, Tech Director Linda Menard Ushers needed for upcoming show. Please contact Membership Manager, Brandon Atkins to schedule a date! or atkins595@hotmail.com vkeep YOUR MEMBERSHIP ACTIVEv VOLUNTEER ~New Members always welcome~ INVITE A FRIEND A few years ago KTG had an interesting technical need to solve, how to make it look like someone was stabbed with a pair a scissors without actually harming our actor. Enter Bob Hotze, a man who enjoys a challenge. Bob jumped in and has been actively involved with the Guild ever since. Bob is the youngest of five brothers. He was born, raised and educated in Webster Groves. His father was a County Health Inspector, who ran an auto and bike repair business on the side. At five years old, working with free flight model airplanes, Bob was already exhibiting an interest in solving technical problems. During high school he became involved with Junior Achievement and earned a performance scholarship to Parks Air College. There he studied Aeronautical Engineering, with a particular interest in strength engineering and was a member of the ROTC program. Upon graduation he joined his older brother at McDonnel Corporation. He initially worked there for nine months before being commissioned into the Air Force. It was during that brief time he met his wife, Vi, who, while attending Miss Hickey s Secretarial School, was introduced to Bob through friends. After basic training, he returned home to get married, then he and his new bride began their life in Houston, Texas, where Bob was in Navigator training. He then went to Biloxi, Mississippi for Electronic Warfare Training. Earning the top spot in the class gave him the privilege of picking his next destination. The Hotzes took the opportunity to spend 9 months in Germany, where Bob flew missions along the East German border locating radar systems. After a brief time in England, they came home, Bob resumed his career at McDonnell and they started their family. Bob and Vi have four children, two boys and two girls. They moved to Kirkwood, where all the kids attended school. Their son, Mark, who lives in St. Louis, recently started volunteering with KTG. As a family the Hotze s enjoyed traveling and camping. His job offered them the opportunity to live briefly in Scotland and California and to do some exploring. In his 35 years with McDonnell, Bob worked on several interesting top secret aerospace projects including the Mercury spacecraft, the space shuttle and the F4 aircraft. To earn some extra cash, Vi and Bob had a side business building replicas of an antique ironing board, that was also a chair. For fifteen years, they traveled to area craft shows. As he began to think about retirement, Bob took home building classes at Meramec. He retired in 1990 and the Hotzes bought a lot in Kirkwood and over a two year period, with friends and family, built their dream home. Bob and Vi love to travel in their mobile home and both have many interests that keep them busy. Last year, in fact, Bob bowled a perfect 300 game. He has really enjoyed his time with KTG and loves the special problems, like figuring out how to make the doors fly open for Blithe Spirit or building a matching French door for There s a Burglar in My Bed. KTG is certainly fortunate to have such a talent to call on.

3 Lance Begnaud, Sally Lister Stephanie Merritt Jeff Kargus, Nisrine Omri Sarah Davidson Ted Eberly, Frank Lewis Joe Arno, Danny Austin, Judy Lewis, Bob Thibaut, Cherol Thibaut Janet Robey Schwartz Nisrine Omri, George Spelvin Jeff Kargus, Amber Muschelli, George Spelvin PERFECT WEDDING Merrick Mohler, Susan Wolff Doug Chapis, Russ Wertz JD Wade Brandon Atkins, Jay Sibbitts John Davidson Kent Coffel, Robert Doyle, Jeff Kargus Jaimie Schwartz Bill Bayer

4 Congratulations to the Arts for LIfe Nominees Kirkwood Theatre Guild Announces ~81st Season Noises Off by Michael Frayn Side-splitting antics onstage and offstage have made this Tony-nominated play a favorite of theatre audiences. Watch the cast of Nothing On struggle through dress rehearsal mishaps, develop backstage drama during the show and, as it nears the end of its run, disintegrate into comical chaos. An exciting play full of frenetic physicality and laughs. Auditions August28, 2011 Move in October 22, 2011 Opens November 4, 2011 Doubt by John Patrick Shanley In 1964, vigilant headstrong principal Sister Aloysius fears the worst when a young, naive teacher expresses concern about the sole Black student acting strangely. She confronts her superior, the congenial Father Flynn, about his relationship with the child. He denies any wrongdoing. How do you find the truth when concerns do not equal facts and you aren t supposed to ask? And what if you re wrong? Whose world are you willing to risk destroying? A powerful, well-written conflict. Auditions November 6, 2011 Move in January 7, 2012 Opens January 20, 2012 Nana s Naughty Knickers by Katherine DiSavino Bridget moves in with her sweet grandmother, Sylvia, for a summer of law school and soon uncovers the secret business run out of the rent-controlled apartment: hand-made lingerie for the mature and frisky. Will a delivery mix-up, a snooping landlord and a smitten police officer strip Sylvia of her venture and the new website? Or worse, get her evicted or convicted? You ll be tickled by this contemporary comedy. (Pending licensing) Kay Love ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Amalia LaViolette ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE Richard Hunsaker to receive Lifetime Achievement Award Richard is a retired educator who has had a tremendous impact on many. He taught Speech and Drama at Belleville West High School from He went on to initiate a highly respected debate program at McKendree College. After retiring,richard began to participate in Community Theatre. He has made appearances on both sides of the river. He has worked with THE Brass Rail Players in Belleville, the Alton Little Theater, the Monroe Actors Stage Company in Waterloo, the Looking Glass Playhouse in Lebanon, the Theatre Guild of Websters Groves, Curtains Up Theater Company in Edwardsville and KTG. Richard will be playing Dr. Sloper in our upcoming production of The Heiress. KTG WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE RICHARD AND ALL THE AFL NOMINEES! Tori Giessing JUVENILE PERFORMER Kent Coffel ACTOR IN A COMEDIC ROLE TO GET INFORMATON ON WHEN AND WHERE THE AWARDS ARE TO BE HELD VISIT THE ARTS FOR LIFE WEBSITE: ARTSFORLIFE.ORG Auditions January 22, 2012 Move in February 25, 2012 Opens March 9, 2012 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels- book by Jeffrey Lane Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek Suave, highbrow con-artist, Lawrence, makes quite a living off the kindness of wealthy women. When he meets, and uses, a low-class swindler to get out of a jam, they realize the town isn t big enough for two charlatans. A bet is made: whoever bilks young and beautiful Christine Colgate out of her $50,000, can stay. You won t feel cheated watching the two sabotaged by each other and by love. A wonderfully witty script and score. Auditions March 11, 2012 Move in April 21, 2012 Opens May 4, 2012 Now is the time to consider how you might like to be involved next season! Assistant Director Technical Manager Actor, Singer, Dancer Stage Manager Set Design Set Decoration Costume Design or Crew Properties Manager Lighting Design, Operator, Crew Sound Design, Operator, Crew Set Move In and Construction Back Stage Crew Play Selection Ushering Mailing Assistance GreenTree Festival Parade/Booth KTG would like to thank our Play Reading Committee Krista Chapis Kara Koeninger Ken Clark Lee Meyer Kent Coffel Jan Bruns Maontovani Robert Doyle Jan Seitz Wheatley Leah Myers Giessing Bert Wunderlich

5 Kirkwood Theatre Guild 844 South Harrison Ave. St. Louis, MO See a play! Bring a friend! For information regarding VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, AUDITIONS or TICKETS call or check at Don t forget to help KTG keep our contact information up to date~let us know when your address or changes. KTG BOARD OF GOVERNORS President~ Danny Austin Secretary~ Judy Lewis Artistic Manger~ Kent Coffel Membership Manger~ Brandon Atkins SEASON VP & Treasurer~ Tom Day Production Manager~ Frank Lewis Publicity Manager~Robert Doyle The Heiress Performances~March 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12 Curtains Auditions, 2 PM~March 13 Performances~April 29, 30, May 1, 5, 6,7 81st SEASON DETAILS INSIDE Check the KTG website~ for more information.