ACT I Season of Theatre Classics

To present final production,

HARVEY
 sponsored by Farmers' Savings Bank and Trust of Vinton

this weekend!

    Every family has its own little secret, and the Dowd family is no exception.  Poor Myrtle May Simmons and her mother, Veta, played by Kari Douma and Cathi Calderwood respectively, have gone to great lengths to keep Uncle Elwood and his  “best friend” out of sight and hidden from their high society friends.  Elwood P. Dowd, played to the hilt by Darran Sellers, accompanied by Harvey, the pooka (played by himself), make the rounds from Chumley’s Rest (a sanitarium) to Charlie’s Bar.

Veta Louise and Myrtle May Simmons

Director Greg Douma

    What’s a pooka? You may look it up in the encyclopedia or simply reserve your seat at any one of five showings during the upcoming two weekends to discover the answer.  Harvey, written by Mary Chase, will play Friday, May 11 at 7:30, Sunday, May 13 at 2:00 (a lovely treat for mother!), Friday and Saturday, May 18 and 19 at 7:30, and Sunday, May 20 at 2:00. Please call 472-9957 to conveniently reserve seating.

    This ACT I production, under the direction of Greg Douma, is a must-see, a hilarious end to our Season of Theatre Classics.  Also on hand to bring down the house, Steve Arnold as Dr. Chumley, Lois Ewins as Mrs. Chumley, Gerald Horst as Dr. Sanderson, and Bonnie Carpenter as Nurse Kelly.  Alex Vasquez as Wilson may steal the show if recent rehearsals and rumors of his costume are any indication.  The comedic team is complete with cast members Ron Baldwin as Judge Gaffney and Elise Dickerson as Mrs. Ethel Cnauvenet.

Will the Real Elwood P. Dowd

Please Stand Up?

By Steve Arnold

    If Darran Sellers, who plays the central character of Elwood P. Dowd in our upcoming production of Harvey, becomes indisposed, there will be no shortage of qualified replacements able to step into the role at the last minute.  No less than four current ACT I members have played the role in productions elsewhere, including two other members of the current Harvey cast.  This is certainly evidence of how popular this classic comedy is, and how frequently it is performed!

Darran Sellers as Elwood P. Dowd

Ron Baldwin, who plays Judge Gaffney for ACT I, played Elwood 32 years ago in a community theatre group while living in Germany.  Steve Arnold, currently playing Dr. Chumley, is now in his fourth Harvey production.  He was cast as Elwood in a community theatre production of the play in Burlington in 1982; he has also played Judge Gaffney and has directed the show.  Eric Upmeyer played Elwood in a high school production in Solon, and ACT I newcomer Len Taylor is also a veteran of the role.  Len appeared in our recent readers’ theatre production of The Crucible.

 Have we left anyone out?  

The Crucible has quiet

but successful run

    The ACT I Readers Theatre Series ended the season with The Crucible written by playwright Arthur Miller.  For ACT I's Readers' Theatre version of the play, director Le Cox condensed the script, eliminated some characters from the large cast, and used narrative passages to transition the cuts.  The show was staged in the intimate setting of the Ray House on April 20, 21, 22.  Attendance was somewhat down, but those who saw the powerful performance were duly impressed. 

    The central character of John Proctor was played by Larry Adams-Bowers.  Reverend Samuel Parris was played by Ed Dickerson.  Abigail Williams by Jaimie Tucker, Reverend John Hale by Bill Owens, Giles Corey by Ron Baldwin, and Steve Arnold was Deputy Governor Danforth.  Others in the cast included Beverly Adams-Bowers as Rebecca Nurse, Le Cox as Elizabeth Proctor, Jessica Rundlett was Mercy Lewis, Josie Rundlett was Mary Warren, Linda Radcliffe was Ann Putnam, Greg Walston was Thomas Putnam, and Len Taylor made his ACT I debut as Judge Hawthorne.

ACT I TRIVIA QUIZ

Local Debuts

    ACT I can take pride in an unusually large number of participants for a small town community theatre, both onstage and off.  This season, 215 different ACT I volunteers participated in at least one of our eight productions, and many of those individuals lent their talents to multiple shows.  Another interesting statistic – 101 of those 215 volunteers were NOT involved in Charlotte’s Web!  Here is another unusual fact – with the exception of Sleuth, which featured only two actors, Harvey is the first ACT I production in over ten years which has NOT marked the debut of at least one new performer – all the cast members are veterans of past shows.  Do you remember when each member of the Harvey cast made his or her ACT I debut?  Below is listed each member of that cast.  Name the show in which that actor or actress first appeared on our stage.

 Darran Sellers                                    Cathi Calderwood  

Kari Douma                                        Elise Dickerson

Bonnie Carpenter                              Alexander Vasquez

Gerald Horst                                      Steve Arnold

Lois Ewins                                          Greg Douma

Ron Baldwin

Submit answers to: act1ofBC@aol.com or mail to:

ACT I of Benton County Trivia Quiz
Box 222, Vinton, Iowa 52349

 REMEMBER:  You do not need to have all the answers in order to submit an entry!

Answers to Last Month’s Quiz

Crime and Punishment

Identify past ACT I shows or crimes committed in them:

 1.      In Oliver!, Oliver Twist was accused of stealing a pocket handkerchief.

2.      In the first act of Sleuth, Andrew Wycke enticed Milo Tindle into attempting to commit a jewel theft.

3.      In Night of January 16^th, Karen Andre was portrayed by Patty Swift.

4.      In The Prince and the Pauper, Prince Edward was falsely accused of stealing a chicken.

5.      Actor Eric Upmeyer was knocked off in Knock ‘Em Dead, in what is surely the briefest appearance on record in an ACT I production.

6.      In The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Burns Mossman stole a Twinkie from Dan LaGrange.

7.      In Bridge to Terabithia, Heidi Husnik stole a Twinkie from Kim Hanneman.  (After Christmas Pageant and Terabithia ran in consecutive seasons, a popular rumor began to circulate that a certain director would not select a script that did not contain a Twinkie theft.)

8.      In Marvin’s Room, Josh Deutsch played a disturbed teen incarcerated for arson.

9.      The play My Three Angels took place in a prison.

10.   Rape was committed in A Streetcar Named Desire.

What do an arrogant emperor, a paranoid chicken,

an empty pot, and magical red shoes all have in common?

You’ve Got To See It To Believe It!

ACT I STAGE! Summer Theatre Camp 2001

Orientation Week: June 11 – 15, 9:00 –12:00 AM, Palace Theatre

Teen and Adult Auditions: June 10, 2:00 PM, ACT I Studio

Performance Dates: July 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29

The Emperor’s New Clothes – a musical featuring teens and adults

   Directed by: Gerald and Marcy Horst

Stone Soup – a musical featuring elementary children

Directed by: Shirale Hanson

The Red Shoes – a straight play featuring elementary children
Directed by:  Shirale Hanson
Henny Penny – a musical puppet theatre featuring elementary children

Directed by: Mary Horst

Music Direction by: Kari Douma and April Noeller

Choreography by:  Joan Cooling

$20.00 Registration Fee

T-SHIRTS, WORKSHOPS, GUEST THEATRE PRODUCTION INCLUDED

 A Look Back at 
How to Eat like a child

ACT I's first summer theatre camp

    In 1996, under the supervising direction and musical direction of Steve Arnold, six youth directors, Kevin Bookmeier, Jessica Coulter, Maggie Karr, Nich Radcliffe, Matt Salger, and Megan Williams met every day at Riverside Park for three weeks to produce ACT I’s first all-youth show, How to Eat Like a Child.”

The tongue-in-cheek “how to” musical celebrated the reality of childhood with songs like “I Feel Sick,” and “We Refuse to Fall Asleep.”  Often seen on our ACT I stage, twins Josh and Kyle Brewer, inspired many laughs when they taught the audience How to Beg for a Dog by singing “Say Yes.”

Josh and Kyle Brewer perform

with dog Kordereau Sellers

The cast of twenty young members responded beautifully to their directing counter-parts.  Fears that the full camp days would be too long and hot for the youngest actors were quickly assailed.  Indeed, the 21 days proved to be a wonderful theatrical adventure, with classes in acting, improvisation, mime, accents, make-up, and lighting, as well as viewing a performance at the Old Creamery Theatre.  Many of the young cast members went on to participate in multiple ACT I productions.

How to Eat Like a Child was performed at Tilford Middle School Auditorium on August 15, 16, 17, and 18, 1996.  The cast included Angie Brand, Josh Brewer, Kyle Brewer, Ryan Calderwood, Josh Deutsch, Morgan Horning, Clare Horst, Erin Horst, Will Ketchen, Austin Lyons, Kassidy Lyons, Samantha Meier, Scott Meier, Lianne Rydell, Kordereau Sellers, Becky Stravers, Chloe Stuff, Tanner Stuff, Alison Truax, and Stacy Williams.

Ryan Calderwood and Erin Horst

demonstrate How to Torture Your Sister

Director Maggie Karr back stage

with Erin and Clare Horst

Will Ketchen “practices” the violin

The Next Meeting of the Board of ACT I of Benton County will be Sunday, June 10, 2001.  Watch for more details concerning time and place.  All ACT I members are urged to attend!

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

Message from
the Other Editor  

    What wonderful memories returned when I dug out the scrapbook to find our saved program and photos from How to Eat Like a Child. That sassy, little musical was the Horst Family Player’s first venture into the world of ACT I.  Erin and Clare were just babies.  It’s been a joy to watch them, and so many of their friends, grow up on the ACT I stage.  There is no better time to introduce a child to the theatre than during his or her early elementary years.  Kids are such beautiful, clean slates; no fears or inhibitions.  The many lessons of the stage will carry and serve them well throughout their entire lives. 

I didn’t grow up with the community theatre opportunity that our children have here in Benton County.  However, as the oldest of seven, I directed many Jessen sibling productions in our basement and backyard.  The acting/directing bug gets in your blood and stays there.  I remember sitting at Riverside Park during a “Like a Child” rehearsal, taking my turn as parent volunteer (an added adult on hand in case of emergency), just dying to jump up to the band shell stage and say, “What if you tried it like this?”

I’m so excited for school to end and our summer theatre program to begin.  This year we again offer the camp format first brought to you by Steve Arnold and ACT I in 1996.  Our dedicated team of directors has been meeting and planning throughout the long, cold winter to ensure exciting, lasting memories and a variety of learning experiences.  We believe every child (and some parents) deserves his or her chance in the spotlight!

Don’t forget to reserve your Harvey tickets.  You’ll love this wacky, light-hearted look at the foibles of human nature.

See you at the Palace,  

Marcy  

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