by Steve Arnold

During the past year, one of ACT I’s charter members has once again become active with us.  Nancy Geiken, who helped inaugurate ACT I as assistant director for our very first production, You Can’t Take it with You in 1980, is back with us again in our two most recent productions.  As director of the vocal ensemble Sonshine, her talents were an integral part of our recent Events Series production Intermezzo III, Silent Night.  And she also has a role in our upcoming Main Stage musical, The Reluctant Dragon.  For this edition of Grease Paint, Nancy is featured as ACT I’s member of the Month for January, 2003.

Nancy Geiken is a long time employee of the Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District, serving currently as the media specialist for Washington High School.  As a behind the scenes member of our historic first production company, Nancy designed the set as well as served as assistant to director Howard Blanning.  Nancy returned to ACT I again with our fourth production late in 1981, the comic melodrama Deadwood Dick, as a vocalist.  Nancy contributed her musical talents to ACT I next as a member of the cast of our January, 1998 variety show Be Our Guest, as a member of the celebrated Sister Act chorus.  She returned in September of that year performing as part of our pre show entertainment for our outdoor musical Bye Bye Birdie.  Nancy returned for performances in our variety show I’ll Be Home for Christmas in November of 1999, ACT I’s first production to be performed in the Palace Theatre, which had opened a couple of weeks earlier.

Nancy’s husband Stan, an area farmer, appeared with ACT I for the first time as a vocalist with Sonshine during I’ll be Home for Christmas, and also appeared with us last season as part of the ensemble for Words and Music by Skeet Powers.  Stan also appeared in our recent Intermezzo III,  Silent Night.  Stan is also a Benton County Extension Director, in addition to farming.  In The Reluctant Dragon, Nancy will appear as Felicity and also double as the alto voice of the Dragon.

Nancy Geiken appeared for the first time on the ACT I stage as a vocalist as a member of the cast of Deadwood Dick, pictured above, ACT I’s fourth production, staged in 1981.

Nancy organized Sonshine about five years ago.  As the director of her church choir, she wanted an opportunity to sing part of the time, too.  Sonshine usually sings only in the summers, while many church choirs are taking a break, and the group tries to sing for all of the churches to which Sonshine members belong.  It is loosely organized, and Nancy says she is not really the director so much as the organizer and music selector.  She loves to sing gospel arrangements that have a good bass part and a "swingy" rhythm, and is always searching for good arrangements for the group to sing.   Several professional musicians are in the group and usually keep them "on track" musically.

Nancy and Stan have three children - Doug and his wife Becky (in CR), Matt (in Tempe) and Melissa (a senior at Luther). Nancy directed plays and musicals at WHS for several years (in the 70's), including The Diary of Anne Frank, Camelot, You Can't Take it With You, The Music Man and others.  She was also the Extracurricular Speech Coach for many years. (71-77 and 82-89).

Many thanks to Nancy Geiken and her husband Stan for her contributions to ACT I through the years, and we look forward to further musical performances by them in the future!  

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