by Mary Horst

This month Steve and Marcy asked me to introduce you to my good friends, recent ACT I members, Allen and Bonnie Lueckenotto. I was chosen for this task for one of two reasons: 1) I know them well and manage to involve them in all my own ACT I projects; or 2) I can both pronounce and spell their last name!

Since no woman is an island, I didn’t hesitate to throw out a line to Allen and Bonnie whenever a new theatre project presented itself this past year. We can all be grateful they took the bait—hook, line and sinker. Read on to discover all the wonderful work this family has contributed to community theatre.

Allen and Bonnie got their feet wet with ACT I last summer when their oldest son, Curtis, appeared as a baby gosling in Charlotte’s Web. Mid-rehearsals, Allen jumped in to strum a few bars on the guitar, enhancing the music for the production.

With one show behind them, the family was plunging ahead like ducks to water. Bonnie helped me with set construction for the 2000-2001 season’s variety show production of Encore! Encore! and Allen assumed set crew duties. Bonnie also contributed some of her photos to ACT I’s premiere photo exhibit, Picture This! With mom and dad already on board for this show, Curtis returned to the stage, this time cracking up audiences as a bubble-gum-chewing pantomimist in a "sticky situation."

The Lueckenottos dove into their first major project for ACT I this summer, when I lured them into building the set for ACT I’s first-ever puppet theatre, Henny Penny. Dedicating their garage to lumber, tools, paint, and wet, gluey newspapers, Allen and Bonnie did a phenomenal job creating a visually appealing, completely portable set that’s stable and capable of concealing a cast of 17. The Henny Penny set features six separate interlocking pieces, including special elements such as a rising sun, working barn doors, three-dimensional cave and pond units, movable tree eyes and a drawbridge that really operates!

Henny Penny will always be special to the Lueckenottos since Curtis tried his puppet skills as Turkey Lurky and younger brother, Evan, made his stage debut. At just five years old, Evan made a splash as puppeteer for the frequently dozing Groggy Froggy. Engineering the frog puppet with eyelids which open and shut was cause for moments of floundering among the set team, but in the end, the frog puppet maintained his dignity on the pond—despite the occasional unplanned wink.

In addition to Curtis and Evan, the Lueckenottos have a daughter, Megan. I can personally attest to her first near all-nighter at the theatre, as she accompanied us during a late night set session at the Palace preparing for Henny Penny. Megan still sings her favorite bars from the Charlotte’s Web score and she’s bound to perform swimmingly as a dancing baby something or other in a future ACT I STAGE! show.

Outside their devotion to the theatre, Allen works as an Advanced Quality Engineer for Square D Company and Bonnie is a daycare instructor at Little Works of Art Daycare Center. They both expend lots of energy volunteering in their hometown in Blairstown. Allen is a KC and music minister at St. John’s Church and Bonnie handles scheduling and baking pies for funeral dinners. The couple also teaches religious education.

In their free time, you can often find the Lueckenottos on the soccer field. Allen is a referee and coach and both Curtis and Evan play the sport. Bonnie joins Allen on the field during an informal adult league on Friday nights.

The Lueckenottos will be jumping right back in the water this fall, building set for the upcoming ACT I production, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

You could say I’m a persistent fisherman, but I think I just snagged a great catch…

Update:

For our October, 2001 production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, the Lueckenotto's were once again at work for us, creating our beautiful set for that show, and they have created the set for our summer 2002 children's theatre production, The Good, the Bad, and the Ogre, produced by ACT I STAGE!

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