Grease Paint Online

It's been a season of bad boys for ACT I -- starting with those four conniving young soldiers in Stone Soup, then the love struck Prince Michael in the Emperor's New Clothes followed by the equally love struck Hero in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Then came all those testosterone crazed Capulet and Montague boys in Romeo and Juliet. And don't forget those cocky young wireless operators and junior officers in The Titanic Disaster Hearings! But now . . . prepare yourselves for the baddest of the bad, the ultimate bad boy, appearing this month in our upcoming It Runs in the Family -- Leslie Tate! From the moment this bad boy walks onto the set of our final Main Stage show of Season 2001 - 2002, you'll know why this kid is a nightmare come true for his long lost father, Dr. David Mortimore. We're not going to show his picture -- you'll have to go to the Palace Theatre between May 10 and 19 for the real thing; because you've got to see it to believe it! (Haven't we heard that phrase somewhere around here before?)

Just before Christmas at St. Andrews Hospital in London, on the morning of an important medical lecture to be delivered by Dr. Mortimore, (there's talk of a knighthood if he pulls it off) Nurse Jane Tate arrives on the scene to inform Dr. Mortimore that their liaison nineteen years earlier resulted in a son -- and he's downstairs now, wanted by the police! The madcap comedy forges ahead at a frenetic pace as Dr. Mortimore tries to juggle (or avoid) his new found fatherhood, his lecture, and his marriage -- with hilariously disastrous results! Soon, wigs are flying, doors are slamming, syringes are jabbing, water is spraying, and who's that out there falling off the window ledge? (And don't even bother trying to ask for an explanation about the dog, the double decker bus, the sluice room, the Vicar, or the climbing expedition in the Himalayas!)

IN REHEARSAL AT THE ACT I STUDIO: As Jane Tate (Bunny Feller) explains to Dr. David Mortimore (Rick Murphy) that they'd had a son eighteen years earlier, their conversation is interrupted by Dr. Hubert Bonney (Jim Hilliard), who recognizes with delight his former colleague.

Rick Murphy is Dr. David Mortimore, Bunny Feller is Jane Tate, and Jim Hilliard is Dr. Hubert Bonney, Dr. Mortimore's friend and easily manipulated associate. Diana Lamphier is Matron, Lois Ewins is Dr. Mortimore's wife Rosemary, Travis Hendricks is Dr. Mike Connolly, Greg Kilberger is Bill, Linda Radcliffe is Dr. Bonney's mother, Steve Arnold is Drake, and Traci Higgins is Sister. WHS vocal music instructor Rob Glass makes his debut as the Police Sergeant. Oh, yes. In case you don't manage to recognize him on stage, Leslie will be played by Matt Meyer.

The production is directed by veteran ACT I actress and director Nancy Beckman. Mary Phillips returns as our technical director. The show opens Friday, May 10 at 7:00 and continues May 12 at 2:00 and then the following week on May 17 and 18th at 7:00 and May 19th at 2:00. Regular ticket price for non season ticket holders is $9.00 and $6.00 for students.

For additional information about this production, go to the It Runs in the Family page of this website, www.act1.org/family.htm

The ACT I Ticket information line and Palace Theatre Box Office number is 472-9957. Make your reservations now for It Runs in the Family!

ACT I Offers Group Discount Rate

ACT I of Benton County is now promoting a group rate for all of its Main Stage Productions. All Main Stage shows run over two weekends. The new group promotion varies according to weekend, with the hope of improving attendance during the first weekend run, and encouraging overall attendance. The FIRST WEEKEND DEAL offers a 15% discount on ticket prices for groups of 15 or more. This includes a savings of $20.25 per 15 adult tickets. The SECOND WEEKEND DEAL gives a 10% discount on ticket prices for groups of 15 or more. This package includes a savings of $13.50 per 15 adult tickets. To be eligible for the discount rate, reservations must be made in one name for the same performance. No refunds or cancellations will be accepted on Weekend Deal packages.

Don't forget to drop in to visit the Green Room, the internet message board for ACT I of Benton County! Just click this icon below!

An ACT I Events Series Concert in the Park

FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

A Family Affair, ACT I’s last production of the 2001-2002 Season will take place at Riverside Park on Friday, June 7, and Sunday, June 9, at 7:00 PM. As always, Events Series ticket prices are $2.00 for everyone, and for this special presentation of A Family Affair we encourage you to bring Grandma and Grandpa who will be admitted FREE! Also FREE…Digital Family Portraits taken and printed on the spot.

Lighthearted entertainment will feature ACT I favorites singing and dancing and telling the “story” of family. Mark your calendars for A Family Affair now. You won’t want to miss this rousing family frolic in the park!

The ACT I STAGE! Summer Theatre Camp 2002 will be holding registration through May 31, 2002. Registration packets are located at the Palace Theatre and should be returned to Camp Coordinator, Marcy Horst, 1307 C Ave., Vinton, 472-5518.

Currently approximately 50 students have registered for the camp. Directors Joan Cooling, Marcy Horst, Mary Horst, April Noeller, Jaimie Walker, and Theresa Werner look forward to working with many old theatre friends and meeting lots of new ones. Orientation Week for all campers will be June 10-14, with a Parent Open House on the 14^th. Rehearsals for the three shows, Ogre Here, Ogre There, Once Upon a Vine, and The Truly Remarkable Puss-in-Boots, begin the following week and will culminate during two production weekends in July.

Like all ACT I STAGE! experiences, the summer theatre camp format features an environment in which children can gain familiarity with theatre, cultivate their imaginations, discover their own individual talents, acquire vital communication skills, and learn to respect and work in cooperation with the other members of a cast and crew. Parents and guardians are considered part of the crew, and will be asked to sign up for rehearsal supervision, set construction, sewing, make-up, treats, backstage supervision, etc. ACT I STAGE! productions are family affairs; warm, rewarding experiences that leave wonderful, lasting memories!

Mark your summer calendar and get your registration in now! Please call Marcy or any of the other directors for additional information, or check the ACT I website at www.act1.org.

Titanic Disaster Hearings

Historical Events Re-enacted on 90th Anniversary

ACT I recreated the U.S. Senate Inquiry into the Titanic Disaster on the 90th Anniversary of the event last month with its readers theatre production of The Titanic Disaster Hearings. The three part production was performed in the council chambers of the Vinton City Hall. The eighteen days of testimony and 86 witnesses from the original hearings were condensed into three segments with 17 witnesses. Ron Baldwin played Senator William Alden Smith of Michigan, who chaired the hearings. This role will surely go down as the largest role ever given to an ACT I performer, as Ron appeared continuously throughout the entire three night cycle, which ran twice on two consecutive weekends. Appearing as witnesses were Kurt Karr, Alan Nebola, Nick Schumacher, Casey Cooling, Dusty Kearns, Matthew Meyer, Travis Hendricks, Jared Parmater, Brian Larkin, Will Ketchen, Edgar Dickerson, John Blix, Angie Nebola, Linda Radcliffe, Traci Higgins, and Cody Robison.

Tensions mount during a heated, hour long battle of wits between Senator Smith, played by Ron Baldwin, and Titanic Fifth Officer Harold Lowe, played by Jared Parmater, during the Saturday segments of The Titanic Disaster Hearings. Lowe's testimony is evasive, yet frank and disturbing as he describes the loading of the lifeboats as well as the grim aftermath of the sinking.

For additional information about this production, go to the The Titanic Disaster Hearings page of this website, www.act1.org/titanic.htm. As part of ACT I's observance of the 90th Anniversary of the Titanic sinking, a series entitled Countdown to Disaster, prepared by Titanic Researcher Fr. Addison Hart of Dekalb, Illinois, was featured in daily installments leading up to the sinking date of April 15. Links to Countdown to Disaster continue to appear on our Titanic page.

The Titanic Disaster Hearings was sponsored by Clingman Pharmacy, Jon and Julie Clingman.

Six days after the closing of our run of The Titanic Disaster Hearings, portions of the roof of the Vinton City Hall, where the production was performed, collapsed, causing major damage to the structure and rendering portions of the building temporarily unusable. It is a sobering thought that our story of real life destruction was followed by another real life destruction, yet despite the relatively light audience turnout for the production, apparently it must be said that we brought down the house.

As our ACT I Season 2001 - 2002 draws to a close, we would like to take the opportunity to thank our Palace Gem supporters for their generosity during our ’01-’02 theatre season. Their contributions have brought each and every one of our shows to the stage, and have made possible the many continued improvements to our existing theatre facility. Additionally, costs such as programs, costumes, and props for each production have been offset by GEM donations.

To show our appreciation for their continued generosity, we have planned a special “2^nd Annual” Season Ending Reception to honor all of our Palace Gems. The reception will be held Sunday, May 12, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at Vinton’s Historic Ray House. Appetizers catered from the 4^th Street Coffee Co., beverages, and special entertainment to include highlights and memories from our ’01-’02 season will be provided. It promises to be a fun evening! We will also recognize and photograph all of our sponsors.

We hope all of our GEMS will continue their support for another season by matching or exceeding last year’s contribution. If you or your organization have not yet become a Palace Gem, please see the list below detailing the sponsorships and benefits, and consider becoming a supporter of our ACT I organization. Contact Joan Cooling, 427-4551, or Marcy Horst, 472-5518, of the ACT I Development Committee with your donations and questions.

*Your name/business/organization listed in ¼ page in season programs and on our website

*Your name/business/organization listed in 1/2 page in season programs and on our website

*Your name/business/organization listed in full page in season programs and on our website

* Your name/business/organization on Palace marquee for a season production of your choice

Please make checks payable to ACT I of Benton County and forward your payment to:

Be sure to include any pertinent information regarding your business address listing. Also include a phone number where you can be reached. Thanks in advance.

Our run of Ray Cooney's It Runs in the Family brings with it the welcome return of one of ACT I's most favorite actors, Jim Hilliard, in the role of the kind hearted, somewhat bumbling, and easily excitable Dr. Hubert Bonney. Jim, who is never absent too long from our stage, last appeared with us as Clyde Miller in Life with Mother. Jim has been with us for seventeen great years, beginning in 1985 with the role of the Reverend Arthur Humphery in our production of See How They Run.

In a program bio from one of his very early ACT I roles, Jim commented "I find this all most amusing." We're glad he did, and that he kept coming back, because during the intervening years Jim has been a very valuable member for a great variety of contributions to us, both onstage and off.

Following his debut, Jim has been seen as Mr. Paravacini in The Mousetrap, H. C. Curry in The Rainmaker; Duncan Latimer in Take a Number, Darling; Henry Benish in Play On, Bozo in Cheating Cheaters, Jack in Dancers, Lou in Twigs, Hal Brown in Knock 'Em Dead, the dual roles of Winthrop Allen and Francis X. Nella in our second production of The Girls in 509, (in that show he played the national chairmen of both the Republican and Democratic parties without so much as changing his tie) and Bob in Marvin's Room, followed by Life with Mother and then our current show. Jim has made many other contributions to ACT I as well, serving as Stage Manager to such shows as our first run of The Girls in 509 as well as In 25 Words or Death, and The Odd Couple. He has also served in a variety of other backstage roles through the years and is a past member of our board of directors. Jim also made a major contribution to ACT I during the Palace Theatre project by serving as a fundraiser and as a part of our steering committee, and has served as a member of the Palace Board to Trustees from the beginning.

Although mostly noted for comic roles, Jim made a striking impression as a dramatic actor in our 1992 production of Dancers, directed by our current director, Nancy Beckman. Jim is pictured here with the late Elisabeth Young.

Jim, an actor who doesn't limit himself to ACT I, has performed with Starlighters II in Anamosa as well as The Marion Fine Arts Council. It was there, almost 15 years ago, that he appeared in a production of See How They Run (in a role he'd already played with ACT I) with a seven year old local actor no one had yet heard of, who has since gone on to somewhat bigger and better things -- Elijah Wood.

Jim is pictured here with Nancy Beckman in our 1987 production of The Rainmaker.

Jim and his wife Elaine are longtime residents of Vinton. They have two adult children, Diane Kilberger and Mark Hilliard. They also have two grandchildren, Jared and Griffin Kilberger.

Jim would like to say that "Being involved in ACT I has always been great fun for me. I am grateful for what this group of dedicated people have been able to offer to the citizens of the area. It's amazing to recall where ACT I started, where it has come, and what lies in the future. My personal thanks to all who support this theatre's efforts."

In a show that features a father and son, Jim is joined in the cast of It Runs in the Family not by his son, but by his son-in-law, Greg Kilberger. Greg, who lives in Iowa City, is back for his fourth role with us, having previously appeared in major roles in our productions of Knock 'Em Dead, The Girls in 509, and Marvin's Room, all of which also featured Jim. Before, however, Greg has always played a character younger than Jim -- this time, as the comical wheel chair bound Bill in our current production, Greg plays the oldest character in the show.

Jim Hilliard (left) and his son-in-law Greg Kilberger take a break during a recent rehearsal of It Runs in the Family at the ACT I Studio.

Greg would like to add that "invention is the mother of necessity -- an odd statement from an odd chap. Mostly harmless, though." (Editor's note: If you know Greg, you will understand this statement. Perhaps.)

Long time ACT I member Jim Hilliard and his son-in-law Greg Kilberger have given ACT I audiences many delightful and carefully studied performances, and you will be rolling in the aisles by both of their performances in our upcoming It Runs in the Family. We thank them for their years of support and hope that they will be with us for many more wonderful performances!

The British farce It Runs in the Family brings Dr. David Mortimore face to face with Leslie, the eighteen year old son he never knew he had. One look at Leslie, though, and Dr. Mortimore is less than thrilled at the prospect of sudden fatherhood. For this month’s quiz, we take a look back at other father / son relationships portrayed in past ACT I productions.

1. In It Runs in the Family, Matt Meyer portrays Leslie, the son of Dr. Mortimore, played by Rick Murphy. Name the actor who played Matt’s last onstage dad, when he was cast as Colin in The Secret Garden.

2. It Runs in the Family isn’t the only show we’ve done this season in which a “long lost” father and son meet for the first time. Earlier this season, who was the actor who played the long lost son of the character played by Ron Baldwin in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum?

3. The father and son in the previous question weren’t the only father son in Forum. Name the actor who played the father of Hero, played by John Blix.

4. Our second Main Stage show this season also featured a father and son, although they never exchanged lines with each other onstage. Name the actor who played Romeo’s father in Romeo and Juliet.

5. Life with Father and Life with Mother were domestic comedies portraying a family of four boys in Victorian New York. Name these four sons of Clarence Day, Sr.

7. Due to double casting, four different boys portrayed the two sons of Ray Bookmeier (Captain von Trapp) in The Sound of Music. Name them.

8. Which one of the four actors from the previous question also played Ray’s son in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever?

9. Ray played still another father for ACT I, in Hansel and Gretel. Who portrayed his son Hansel?

10. Name the actor who was one of ACT I’s most frequent performers from the “early years,” who portrayed the father of Burns Mossman in Bridge to Terabithia as one of his final roles with us.

11. The father of the character played by Josh Brewer in The Prince and the Pauper never appeared onstage. Who was this famous historical figure?

After our readers' theatre production of The Titanic Disaster Hearings, what do you know about the Titanic tragedy? How many of these questions were you able to answer from last month's quiz?

1. Titanic was equipped with 16 wooden lifeboats and 4 collapsibles.

2. The initials R.M.S. refer to "Royal Mail Steamer."

3. The dates of April 14 and 15 also marked the Lincoln assassination -- Lincoln was shot on April 14 and died on the morning of the 15th.

4. Walter Douglas of Cedar Rapids, who died in the sinking, had been a partner in Quaker Oats, founded by his father, as well as the Douglas Starch Works (later Pennick & Ford) founded with his brother George, who owned the Brucemore Estate in Cedar Rapids.

5. Walter Lord's classic book on the Titanic tragedy is A Night to Remember, which was also made into a feature film in the late 50s. (Editor's Update: following the publication of this quiz, and while this edition is still current, Walter Lord, 84, died in his Manhattan apartment of Parkinson's disease on May 21, 2002. In addition to A Night to Remember, Lord wrote a sequel to that book called The Night Lives on, published in 1986 after the wreck of the Titanic was discovered. He authored several other historical documentaries as well. Walter Lord's mother had sailed with Titanic's Captain Smith on several occasions and as a boy Walter had traveled on Titanic's sister ship Olympic.)

6. Dr. Robert Ballard discovered the wreck of the Titanic in 1985.

7. Titanic was featured in the 60s Broadway musical The Unsinkable Molly Brown by Iowa composer Meredith Willson.

8. The actual owner of the Titanic was American investor J. P. Morgan.

9. Following the death of Frenchman Michel Navratil last year at the age of 93, there are now four Titanic survivors remaining: Milvinia Dean, 90, of Southampton, England; Barbara Dainton, 91, of Plymouth, England, Lillian Asplund, 96, of Massachusetts, and Winifred Tongerloo, 98, of Michigan.

Minutes of meetings from the current year can be accessed on the Board page of our website.

I’m very excited about our upcoming production of It Runs in the Family, directed by “comedic directing genius” Nancy Beckman. (That last is a quote from Steve Arnold, who is in the show. In fact, he’s been involved in no less than 5 theatrical endeavors this spring here and in Cedar Rapids. He may be a bit slap-happy these days, but I’m taking his word on Nancy!) I personally have not attended a rehearsal, but I’ve been privileged to participate in a few conversations where the subject comes up and the praise and enthusiasm for this ACT I comedic endeavor is over the top. In fact “over the top” seems to be an apt description for the production, along with “hilarious,” “riotous,” and “just so darn funny!” I don’t know about you, but I can always use a good laugh.

ACT I Offers Group Discount Rate

Answers to Last Month’s Quiz RMS Titanic

Answers to Last Month’s Quiz

RMS Titanic