Grease Paint Online - July, 2005

2005 - 2006 Season: You Can Fool All of the People...Some of the Time Opens!

It's a salute to hair this week as ACT I's 26th season officially gets underway Friday night with the opening of the first of

two summer children's theatre productions. Our season opener is Let Your Hair Down, Rapunzel, by Karen Boettcher-Tate with music and lyrics by Scott DeTurk, performed by our Second Stage Theatre Camp, with a production company made up of thirty-eight students and performed in the auditorium of Benton Community High School in Van Horne. Directed by Mary Horst, Stage Two camp coordinator, the show runs Friday and Saturday at 7:00 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm. Our season theme, "You can fool all of the people some of the time," is well served by this story, which features a crafty witch with more than a few tricky deceptions up her sneaky sleeves. Bridgette Nulty is featured in the title role of Rapunzel Shwartzbuckle; Andy Schanbacher is seen as Prince Llewellyn, Mandey Lund is Witch Izwitch, and Nathan Horst and Dani Vollbrecht are seen as Walt and Rene Schwartzbuckle. Curtis Lueckenotto portrays King Zeek Furaday and Haley Luther plays Queen Petunia Furaday. Also in the cast are Lindsey Cook, Anna Hagen, Ellie Horst, Kristin Jensen, Evan Lueckenotto, Emily Skow, Miranda Hammes, Morgan Schutterle, Wesly Williams, Maxwell Tiedmann, Tanysha Truax, Megan Veldhuizen, MacKenzie Gage, Megan Leuckenotto, Taylor Gage, Cassidy Nulty, Marisa Wolf-Bruns, Rachel Frese, Alicia Gage, Karly Hagen, Hayley Frese, Madison Knaack, Molly Williams, Amber Hagen, Jennah Langton, Alex Stewart, Ashley Price, Kaelyn Knaack, Paige Namanny, and Whitney Schutterle. Annie Horst and Vivian Cronbaugh are the accompanists. Twelve of the company members are appearing with ACT I for the first time. The camp staff includes Lois Deerberg, Ann Franzenburg, Angie Hagen, Mary Horst, Bonnie Lueckenotto, Alyssa Stoddard, Keri Brecht, and Katie McCormack. ACT I STAGE! productions have long been noted for superior technical elements, and this production is no exception. The set, designed by Mary Horst and created by Mary and Dave Horst and Allen and Bonnie Lueckenotto and their families, is eye popping.

The offbeat plot of the play turns on Rene Schwartzbuckle's zany obsession for a turnip-like vegetable called “rapunzel.” After spotting a patch in the neighbor’s garden, Rene sends her husband, Walt, to “borrow” some. Discovering this, the neighbor, Witch Izwitch, sends her henchmen, the Glumpwarts, to terrorize Walt until he promises to give over his first born daughter on her 18th birthday. The play jumps ahead 18 years and we find Rapunzel locked in a remote tower, held captive by the witch. The Schwartzbuckles plead for help from the royal family and an all-out rescue effort is underway.

In addition to director Mary Horst, the production team includes lighting designer Andy Knaack and lighting crew Alicia Porter and Nathan Werning, backstage supervisors Tricia Schutterle, Colleen Hammes, Dawn Tiedemann, Jane Hage, Cheri Macal, and Patti Stewart; Stage Crew Dave Horst and Allen Lueckenotto, costumers Mary Horst, Bonnie Lueckenotto, Katie Lueckenotto, Tanya Lueckenotto, Mandy Lund, Brenda Schanbacher, and Patti Stewart. Makeup advisor is Colleen Hammes, Intermission Party Planner is Bonnie Lueckenotto, with cupcake crew Kathy Gage, Jane Hagen, Vicki Jensen, Amy Knaack, Sue Lund, Linda Luther, Carol Nulty, Brenda Schanbacher, Patti Stewart, Tammy Price, Dawn Tiedemann, and Nancy Veldhuizen. The program is by Mary Horst.

Second Stage is now in its second year, providing a summer theatre camp to students in the southern half of Benton County. ACT I STAGE!, our youth program, was formed in 1999. Let Your Hair Down, Rapunzel is sponsored by the Benton County State Bank and the Coon Creek Telephone Company. who are among this season's Diamond Sponsors for ACT I. There is no reserved seating. All seats are $5.00.

For additional information about this production, including more photographs and a complete cast list by character, (as well as performance photographs after the show has run,) go to the Let Your Hair Down Rapunzel show page of this website at www.act1.org/rapunzel.htm. To learn more about ACT I's youth program STAGE!, including our Stage One and Second Stage Theatre Camps, visit the ACT I STAGE! page at www.act1.org/stage.htm.

The ACT I Ticket information line and Palace Theatre Box Office number is 472-9957! Keep this number handy all season and remember to call ahead for reservations! (Due to the large seating capacity at the auditorium in Benton Community High School, no reservations will be needed for Let Down Your Hair, Rapunzel.)

Barely will the applause have died down in Van Horne when the lights come up at the Palace

Theatre in Vinton for the second children's theatre production of our new season. There, a production company of over the eighty students and several adult who are participating this year in Stage One Theatre Camp in Vinton, will stage The Princess Plays, written by Colleen Neuman. The production consists of three one acts, The Princess and the Princess, directed by Marcy Horst and April Ahrenholz; Twice Upon a Time, directed by Shirale Hanson and Sheila Monson, and The Lost Half-Hour, directed by Joan Cooling and Alice Means. Alex Vasquez will supervise several eighth grade boys who are performing the technical assignments for the show. Marcy Horst is the camp coordinator for Stage One. The production will be performed on July 27, 28, and 30 at 7:00 PM and July 31 at 2:00 PM. It is sponsored by Kevin and April Ahrenholz. A full story on The Princess Plays, including a complete cast list and rehearsal photographs, will run in two weeks as part of our second July edition of Grease Paint.

For additional information about this production, including rehearsal photographs as they are obtained and (later) a complete cast list by character, go to The Princess Plays show page of this website at www.act1.org/princess.htm.

Long time ACT I performer Anthony Bopp, who returned to our stage in January after a 17 year

absence, heads a 45 member cast to play the title role of Harold Hill in our upcoming Main Stage Musical, Meredith Willson's The Music Man. Tony, who before January was last seen on our stage in 1988, was featured this past May as Charles Condomine in Blithe Spirit. Sheila Monson, who has had supporting roles in recent ACT I musicals and has been a member of the directing staff of ACT I STAGE!, takes the role of Marian the librarian. A supporting cast filled with ACT I regulars compliments the leading players. Ten-year old Ben Hyland, who has delighted audiences with several performances in ACT I STAGE! productions, plays his first Main Stage role as Winthrop. Brian Larkin, last seen in You Can't Take it with You, will be featured as Mayor Shinn. Jill g. Lockart-Bopp, who was seen as Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit, is featured as Eulalie McKecknie Shinn. Linda Merritt, who gave an unforgettable performance as Grandma Kurnitz in our 2003 production of Lost in Yonkers, plays Mrs. Paroo. Greg Walston, another ACT I favorite whose many roles have included the Emperor in The Emperor's New Clothes, takes the role of Marcellus Washburn. The barbershop quartet features four ACT I veteran performers, including Ray Bookmeier, Ed Dickerson, Dave Gates, and Alan Nebola. The Pick-a-little ladies are Bunny Feller, Sue Gates, Cathi Calderwood, and Conni Huber. Willow Huber portrays Amarylis. Jesse Bunge is Tommy Djilas, Sarah Allyn portrays Zaneeta Shinn, and Rachel Monson is Gracie Shinn. David Canaday is seen as Charlie Cowell.

The directing staff for this production was introduced in our last edition; the remaining cast members, as well as crew and musicians, will be announced in our next edition in two weeks.

For additional information about this production, including a complete cast list by character, go to The Music Man show page of this website at www.act1.org/musicman.htm.

One of the largest cast ever featured in an ACT I production, with over 90 members, went onstage five years ago this month to bring to live one of the best love children's stories ever, E. B. White's Charlotte's Web, which was presented July 8 - 16, 2000. The children's musical, based on the 1953 Newbery Honor Book, was presented by ACT I STAGE! and directed by Marcy Horst and Shirale Hanson. April Ahrenholz was the music director and the choreography was by Joan Cooling. The show was the season opener to Season 2000 - 2001, our first full season in the Palace Theatre.

The cast, a good mix of both adults and children, featured Sarah Allyn as Charlotte, Brei Isbell as Fern, Aaron Williams as Wilbur, Kordereau Sellers as Avery, and Gerald Horst as John Arable, and Darran Sellers as Lurvey. Debut performers included Mary Horst as Martha Arable, Greg Walston as Homer Zuckerman, Lois Martin as Edith Zuckerman. Farm animals included Audrey Tran Lam as Templeton, Rachel Larkin as the Sheep, and Andy Hanson, Sara Walston, and Becca Fisher as the geese. Rounding out the cast were dozens more adults and children as dozens more extra characters.

The beautiful set was created by John Hanson and Jennifer Heckman from the sound wall that was used in place of black curtains during the early years of the theatre. A moving Ferris wheel was one of the visual elements that delighted the audience, and the audience was drawn into the show itself during intermission (which took place during the fair sequence) when the popcorn vender on stage invited the audience onto the stage for free popcorn. Huge amounts of popcorn were served at each performance!

The show was very successful at the box office and was seen by over 1000 patrons, with all performances the second weekend sold out.

For additional information about this production including performance photographs and a complete cast list, go to the Chalotte's Web show page of this website at www.act1.org/web.htm.

Deception is afoot this season in our Main Stage, Children's Theatre, and Events productions. Yet some things you'll see on stage this year seem strangely familiar, because similar stories and situations have already been staged by ACT I. How many past ACT I productions can you name based on the clues below?

1. In which play does a mysterious con man come to a small town with bold promises, stealing the heart of the leading lady, but NOT The Music Man?

2. In which play does a witch lie to trick and trap a young man as her prisoner, but NOT Let Down Your Hair, Rapunzel?

3. In which play do a pair of gentlemen attempt to deceive a crowd of people into believing that someone is not who they say they are, but NOT Lend Me a Tenor?

4. In which play does a character scheme to not pay his taxes, but NOT Love, Sex, and the IRS?

5. Which production was a themed triple bill with three plays about one type of character, but NOT The Princess Plays?

6. Which play was a new twist on a Biblical story, but NOT The Diary of Adam and Eve?

7. In which play is the action dominated by a "professor" with the initials H. H., but NOT The Music Man?

8. In which play does a man dress as a woman to attempt to deceive an officer of the law, but NOT Love Sex, and the IRS?

How many of our recent high school graduates can you name, based on these ACT I archival production photographs?

The next meeting of the Board of ACT I of Benton County will be held soon. Check back to this box for the exact date.

Members and visitors are always welcome at board meetings!

The beginning of a new season is always an exciting moment! All the ideas are fresh and we have interesting productions to anticipate! This year is no exception. And it's always a pleasure to watch our summer children's theatre productions unfold. I enjoyed visiting a rehearsal earlier this week to take pictures of Let Your Hair Down, Rapunzel, and observed a well prepared show being honed by a group of well focused young people. Second Stage is only in its second year, and while most of last year's cast was making their debut for ACT I, a large number of talented returning performers will be seen in this production. For many years the southern half of Benton County was primarily represented in ACT I productions by the Williams, Lueckenotto and Dave Horst families, but thanks to Second Stage we have a growing number of new "regulars" who can be seen in this production. I urge all of our patrons from the northern end of the county to go to Van Horne this weekend for the Second Stage production!

A great virtue of our children's theatre productions is the beautiful technical element. No question, our children's shows always look GREAT, with beautiful sets and costumes and carefully planned lighting. Young people, getting their first taste of theatre, deserve to be able to work within a physical production that makes them feel like they are part of something special. This production is no exception. This year, Mary Horst has taken her set designing skills to new heights, let us say, and when you see this show you'll know exactly what I mean! So please support BOTH our summer theatre camps with your attendance this year!

Also, when you're not catching ACT I productions this month, check out some of the other great theatre going options in the area! The Grapes of Wrath opens July 14 at runs through July 24 at Brucemore. On July 15 the Old Creamery Production of Holiday Hijinks: Independence Day opens at the Price Creek Stage in Amana, running through August 28. Also opening on July 15 and running through July 31 is Grease at Theatre Cedar Rapids, featuring ACT I veteran actor Charlie Vogl in the leading role of Danny.

If anyone would be interested in assisting with the production of Grease Paint this year I would very much appreciate volunteers! With the directing of the first two Main Stage shows on my one plate this year, I would be very pleased to yield some of the writing to others. (I always hate writing about my own shows!) So if you have writing skills that will lend themselves to producing some of our Grease Paint features this year and you are ready and willing to jump in, then e-mail me at act1ofbc@aol.com!

Answers to Our Last Quiz