Second Annual Variety
Show This Weekend

    ACT I’s Second annual variety show opens for a two performance run at Tilford Middle School. This year’s show, entitled That’s Entertainment, will be performed this Friday and Saturday nights (January 15 and 16) at 8:00 PM. As with last year, many of the acts feature performers not normally associated with ACT I productions. The director and hostess for the evening is again Brenda Hackbarth. A variety of musical, dance, and comedy acts highlight the evening. Appearing will be Brooke Swift (song and dance) Steve Meyer (Civil War presentation), Rhonda Westergard (story telling), Chris Andrews (vocalist), Austin Karr, Pat Lyons, Dave Raines, and Dan Wiley, (men’s vocal quartet), Audrey Stone, (vocal/instrumental duo), Faith Brown (standup comedy), Shannon Janssen (pianist), Kim and Todd Frank, (vocalists), Maggie Karr (pantomime), and the men’s and women’s adult dance classes from the Cooling Dance Center.

    Kevin Bookmeier is assistant director and Jay Appleby is technical director for the production. Join us this weekend for "That’s Entertainment!" Tickets are $7.00 and $5.00 for students.

ACT I STAGE! Debuts

Children’s Theatre Casting Announced

    Last week nearly 60 auditioners provided a rich pool of talent for ACT I’s upcoming McElroy Children’s Theatre Series, the first productions produced by our new youth program, ACT I STAGE!. STAGE! was created out of the interest shown in theatre by the youth of the community. Its goal is to foster an interest in live theatre among the young of Benton County. Providing an opportunity for participation and education are prime goals of STAGE!, but its most important goal is to provide a performance series tailored to the target audience of elementary age theatre goers. We open in March with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, ACT I’s first ever student directed production. Maggie Karr and Jessica Coulter will stage the play, based on the second book of The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. The series concludes in May with an adaptation of Mark Twain’s classic historical fiction novel, The Prince and the Pauper, directed by Steve Arnold.

    Architect Peter Shawinsky, one of two adult members of the production company, makes his ACT I debut in the roles of Aslan in Lion/Witch and Miles Hendon in Prince. Peter lives in Atkins and has several acting credits with Theatre Cedar Rapids. His daughter Aubrey, also a TCR veteran, makes her ACT I debut as Susan, one of the four children featured in the story. Haley Ridenhour-McHenry makes her debut as Lucy and brothers Peter and Edmund are played by ACT I veterans Josh Deutsch and Matt Meyer, respectively. Morgan Horning is seen as the White Witch, and serves as assistant director and stage manager for Prince. Sixth grade identical twins Josh and Kyle Brewer, veterans of five previous ACT I productions, play the title roles of Prince Edward and Tom Canty in The Prince and the Pauper. Other principal roles in that production include Megan Christy in her debut with us as Lady Jane Gray, Kate Westergard as Lady Gwen, Tyler Kent, a senior at BCHS, in his ACT I debut as the Hermit, and John Westergard as Lord Hertford. A complete cast list will be printed in next month’s issue of Grease Paint.

    As work on the Palace Theatre progresses, we are hopeful that The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe will be the opening show for the theatre, but that is still up in the air. Keep your fingers crossed!

    The McElroy Children’s Theatre Series is specially priced at $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for students. ACT I STAGE! is fully funded by a grant from the McElroy Foundation of Waterloo, Iowa.

Members of the Month

The Westergards

    As ACT I prepares to move into its new home in the Palace Theatre, we visit another ACT I family who has also moved into a new home recently. This month we feature the Stan Westergard family, who in mid October moved into a beautiful new home on First Avenue South, and by now it’s starting to feel like home for the family. Stan and Rhonda operate the local State Farm Agency, now having lived in Vinton for several years.  Rhonda and their two children, John and Kate, have been active on stage in ACT I productions for several years, while Stan continues to be one of our most devoted and supportive members.  John is currently in ninth grade at WHS and his activities include cross country and Boy Scouts.  Kate is an eighth grader active in volleyball, dance, and piano. Rhonda and the kids began with us in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and also were all in Oliver! Kate and Rhonda also appeared in The Miracle Worker and Bye Bye Birdie, where Rhonda played Mrs. MacAffee. Rhonda appeared in last year’s variety show and will also appear in this year’s edition.  Both John and Kate will be seen later this year in the ACT I STAGE! production of The Prince and the Pauper.

The home of Stan and Rhonda Westergard
and their children John and Kate, newly
constructed on the edge of Vinton.

    The Westergard’s new home was built by the Haefner-Stein crew, the same builders who are now working to finish the Palace Theatre. Guests to the home enter an eye catching foyer, and move into an inviting open kitchen/family room space. The master suite is also on the main floor. On the second floor, John and Kate’s rooms are at opposite ends with a small family room between.

    The Westergards think ACT I is a great community builder, providing good family entertainment. They are anxious to have ACT I move into their new home at the Palace Theatre and have it start to feel like home, too!

ACT I Trivia Quiz

Holidays

    As we celebrated the holiday season last month with our production of Gift of the Magi, we take a look at holiday observances in other ACT I shows.

    1. What was the principal decoration on the Christmas Tree featured in Steel Magnolias?

    2. What unusual Christmas gift did Leslie Burke present to Jesse Aarons during Bridge to Terabithia?

    3. Which holiday does the play Twigs occur directly after?

    4. In which holiday production did local ministers alternate in the role of a minister?

    5. In our upcoming production of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which holiday is never celebrated in Narnia?

Submit entries to:

ACT1ofBC@aol.com

or by snail mail to:
ACT I Trivia Quiz
Box 222 Vinton, Iowa, 52349

Answers to last month’s quiz

All in the Family

(questions focused on family involvement in ACT I.)

    1. In what show did a mother and son play a mother and son?
         Life with Father - Cathi and Ryan Calderwood

    2. Name an ACT I show in which sisters played sisters.
           The Best Christmas Pageant Ever - Megan and Kim Hanneman, The Sound of Music -- Melissa and Kim Hanneman, Megan and Stacy Williams -- How to Eat Like a Child -- Clare and Erin Horst

    3. In which ACT I show did a husband and wife play an unmarried couple having an affair?
            Same Time Next Year -- Dave and Stacey Breummer

    4. Which 2 unrelated performers have played brother and sister in 3 different productions?
            Kim Hanneman, Burns Mossman (Terabithia, Christmas Pageant, Sound of Music)

    5. Name a grandfather and grandson who have both appeared in ACT I shows while the generation between has never performed.
           Bob and Dan LaGrange, Keith and Burns Mossman

    6. Of what unusual statistic concerning twins did the Oliver! cast boast?
           4 1/2 sets of twins - Keith and Kory Kriz, Josh and Kyle Brewer, Luke and Logan Lenhart, Mallory and Michael Pettengill, and Justine Feldman without sister Jasmine

    7. In what show did a brother and sister play boyfriend and girlfriend?
            Life with Father -- Austin and Maggie Karr

    8. Which ACT I chips were born while their moms were working on Bridge to Terabithia?
            Clare Cooling and Brooke Swift

Congratulations to Brenda Hackbarth for submitting the winning entry for last month!

That’s Grease Paint Online
for January, 1999!

To look back at previous online issues, visit our Grease Paint Archives page by clicking here!

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