General Meeting
The General Meeting this month
will be on Wednesday, March 16, 2005, 8:00 P.M. at the
theater, Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Avenue,
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Hospitality
Meeting Hospitality for the March
General Meeting will be provided by Gretchen Luna. Thank
you Gretchen!
Workshop
Our March Workshop is TOURIST
TRAP, a delightful comedy written by Alice Lundsford,
directed by Sheridan Cole, starring Alice Lundsford,
Eileen Cipriano and Randy Ball (Midsummer Night’s
Dream).
Heaven Can Wait March/April
Production
Heaven Can Wait opened this past
weekend, hope everyone joined in for the Opening Night
celebration.
The Director
says, "The cast and I are having a ball, don’t
miss this one!" I peeked at a couple of scenes
at the dress rehearsal. Looking good!!
Work Sunday
The director and the producers
of Heaven Can Wait would like to thank the following
people who helped out on Work Sunday:
Brent Anderson, Franczeska Angel,
Gail Bernardi, Barbara Brophey, Tom Brophey,
Arlene Cohen, Maria Cohen, Michael I. Cohen,
Sheldon Cohen, Sheridan Cole, De Cotter,
Ed Cotter, Dave Dettore, Andrew Fitzsimmons,
William Goldyn, J. M. Green, Barbara Haberman,
Shellee James, Andy Kallok, Marian Kerr,
Gemma Levine, Alice Lunsford, Jim Lunsford,
Ben Lupejkis, Julia Maggs, Lori A. Marple-Pereslete,
Paul Mazerov, Treva Merritt, Melvin Miller,
Calia Mintzer, Michael Murphy, Dave Parke,
Tony Pereslete, Judy Polak, Lee Polak,
Richard Potthoff, Scot Renfro, Charlotte Lee Schildkret,
Bob Schnauss, Adina Silo, Alicja Sprague,
Susan Stangl, Max Stormes and Fred M. Wolf.
Emma (Special Staged Reading)
Kentwood Players NewWorks Festival
presents a staged reading of the new musical, "Emma",
inspired by the novel by Jane Austen. Come and see this
new musical by Joel Adlen at Kentwood on Saturday, April
2 at 2:00pm or Sunday, April 3, at 7:00pm. This is your
chance to be a part of the creative process. There will
be a reception and a Q&A period with the cast, directors
and author after each performance. Your opinions could
help to shape this exciting new work. No reservations
are necessary, as there is no cost to attend these readings,
but we will be accepting donations at the door to help
defray overhead costs. Please contact Catherine Rahm
if you have any questions.
Company May/June Production
Director Aileen-Marie Scott and
producers Larry Jones and Sheridan Cole.
The show is set in New York,
1972. On the night of his 35th birthday, confirmed bachelor
Robert contemplates his unmarried state. In vignette
after hilarious vignette, we are introduced to "those
good and crazy people," his married friends, as Robert
weighs the pros and cons of married life. In the end,
he realizes being alone is "alone, not alive."
Auditions were held Saturday
March 12 and Sunday March 13, with callbacks
March 15. As you read this Bulletin, the show
is probably cast. Aileen-Marie Scott will introduce
the cast at the April General Meeting.
The Rainmaker July/August
Production
Our July/August production of
The Rainmaker, by N. Richard Nash, will be directed
by August Vivirito and will be produced by Ed Cotter.
Director August Vivirito has
furnished the following Character Breakdown:
All the members of the Curry
family are gentle, kindly people, who have an uneducated,
but profoundly true sense of beauty. There is an unmistakable
bond of family love for one another. Please note that
ages are only listed here as a guide.
H. C. Curry – Mid-fifties
to early sixties. Father of two sons and a daughter.
Widower. Owner of the prosperous Curry ranch now suffering
drought. Powerfully set. A capable, agreeable and loving
older cattleman. Still a man with dreams.
Noah Curry – Forty. H.C.’s
oldest. Strong. Somewhat like his father, but without
imagination. Somewhat self righteous. Rigidly opinionated.
If he ever had a dream bigger than the ranch, it is
not obvious now.
Jim Curry – Early twenties.
The youngest. Big and broad shouldered. Seems mature
until he opens his mouth; then he is a child. Not too
bright, but bright enough to know it. This is his "cross."
He is filled with longing for his life to begin. Highly
excitable and energetic.
Lizzie Curry – Twenty
seven. Physically beautiful in the plainest sense. She
is mother, sister, and child in turn to her family.
She is forthright and comfortable with her tenets of
right and wrong. She has always lived well with them.
Carries an enormous longing to be loved romantically;
courageously searching for it and willing to give herself
up to it.
File – Thirties. Lean.
Reticent and intelligent. He smiles wryly at the world
and at himself. A hint of bitterness, well balanced
by a mischievous humor. He and Sheriff Thomas are obviously
friends to the point of family. Perhaps a hint of underlying
sadness.
Sheriff Thomas – Fifties.
Generous with a meddling nature. Excitable and humorously
irritable when pushed, as File does so well.
At the time of a paralyzing drought
in the West we discover a girl whose father and two
brothers are worried as much about her becoming an old
maid as they are about their dying cattle. For the truth
is, she is indeed a plain girl. The brothers try every
possible scheme to marry her off, but without success.
Nor is there any sign of relief from the dry heat. When
suddenly from out of nowhere appears a picaresque character
with a mellifluous tongue and the most grandiose notions
a man could imagine. He claims to be a rainmaker. And
he promises to bring rain, for $100. It's a silly idea,
but the rainmaker is so refreshing and fascinating,
the family finally buys in. Soon they begin banging
on big brass drums to rattle the sky; while the rainmaker
turns his magic on the girl and persuades her she has
a very real beauty of her own. And she believes it,
just as her father believes the fellow can actually
bring rain.
Light Up the Sky September/October
Production
Our September/October production
of Light Up the Sky will be directed by Kathleen Chapin.
A Musical (To Be Announced)
November/December Production
Although the November/December
production will be a musical, no final decision has
been made by the Board.
45 Seconds From Broadway
January/February (2006)
The Kentwood Players Board has
approved our January/February 2006 production as 45
Seconds From Broadway to be directed by Gail Barnardi.
Service Pins
The following service pins were
awarded at the February General Meeting:
10 years: Sheldon Cohen and Arlene
Cohen
20 years: Michael Cohen, Jeanne
Spain, Max Heldring Storms and Larry Jones
25 years, Our Newest Lifetime
Member: Jenny Booth
Congratulations to all!
Membership Renewal
Membership chairperson Arlene
Cohen advises it is time for the renewal of your membership
to the Kentwood Players. Please return your membership
renewal form with your payment prior to April 30 to
receive your tickets in time for the opening of the
May/June Production of COMPANY. If payment has not been
made prior to attending the show, you will be asked
to pay the regular ticket price at the box office. You
may apply that to your membership by contacting the
membership chairperson directly. Advance arrangements
can be made for you to pick up your paid ticket book
at the box office on the night you plan to attend the
performance. Please include any updated member information
with your payment.
Membership is based on a cash
payment of $15.00 per person, attendance at three general
meetings during the year and 6 points earned through
personal involvement in projects at the theater. If
you are wondering about your point count, check with
Arlene Cohen to make sure you have the 6 points you
need.
Kentwood Dinner Dance, Marcom
Mask Awards for the 2004/2005 Season
Dinner Dance Chairperson Calia
Mintzer would like everyone to schedule the Dinner Dance
date on your June calendar. This season’s event will
be held on Saturday, June 25, 2005, with a live dance
band, a live dance band rumored to play all requests!
Announcements
Alice Lundsford’s screenplay
BANKING ON ESTER will be read Monday, March 14, 7:30
PM. The reading will be presented by a joint committee
of WGA/AFTRA/SAG at the Writer’s Guild of America, 7000
West Third Street, Second Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90048.
Call 323/782-4536 for reservations. There will be a
wonderful buffet after the performance. (Alice Lundsford)
Just wanted to let Kentwood members
know I just won the Ms. Senior Palm Desert pageant.
I will be going on to the Ms. Senior California Pageant
in either August or September, which is a preliminary
to Ms. Senior America. It is going to be held
in Santa Monica so maybe some of my Kentwood friends
can get there to support me. I'll let you know
more as the time gets nearer. Oh, by the way,
I also won most talented in the pageant....So exciting!!!!
At this time in my life...what fun!! (Pamla Abramson)
I want to tell everyone about
the delightful afternoon I spent last Saturday in Palm
Desert at the Ms. Sr. California Pageant. I
attended as an officer of the Cameo Club which is an
organization of women who have participated in pageants
at one time or another.
Much to my surprise I saw Pamla
Abramson’s name on the list of contestants. She
was first of 13 contestants out on the stage and from
the very beginning, when she modeled a lovely gown with
a big smile on her face, to her talent when she wowed
the crowd at Sun City with her rousing rendition of
Cabaret, she was a sensation! I was
only sorry some Kentwoodites were not there to cheer
her. But perhaps when she competes with 17 contestants,
the 3 top winners from the other preliminary pageants
held in California, more can attend. The Ms. Sr.
California Pageant will be held in the Los Angeles area,
I believe. That will happen in the fall.
The woman crowned will then go on to Las Vegas in November
to compete with women from all over the country for
the title of Ms. Sr. America.
The Cameo Club has a performing
troupe, the "Sizzling Seniors," which I perform
with. We did 10 shows over the holidays and continue
to do more each month at County Fairs, Clubs, Parades,
Senior Expos, Conventions (we did one in San Diego last
month with 500 in attendance) and anywhere we are wanted.
I am having a ball (big thrill when I received 2 standing
ovations for a song). I hope Pamla can join us sometime.
Give my regards to all those who remember me! (Norma
Northcott-Binmore, Moon Over Buffalo)
Sherman Wayne is directing a
production of "Moon over Buffalo," by Ken Ludwig, for
Theatre Palisades starring Kentwoodian Jack Coppock
as George. Play Dates: April 1 through May 8. (Sherman
Wayne, Set Designer, Barefoot In the Park)
At last! There is real news to
put in the monthly rag! A historic event happened at
the Westchester Playhouse on Friday, Feb. 18, 2005.
The rain at the time was scattered and not too heavy,
but there was considerable lightning of the crackle
type in the area. A performance of Sunshine Boys was
ready to get underway. We had better than 1/2 a house.
The audience was all seated. The opening music had finished
when at exactly Eight O'clock there was a flash and
the playhouse went dark. At first I thought it might
be some dramatic opening that Sheldon had come up with.
But Sheldon was there that night and he said it wasn't
him. We had indeed suffered a total Blackout!!!!!!!!
The staff sprang to action. First,
as is customary at Kentwood, there was conversation.
All agreed, in over 50 years there must have been a
problem like this before. There are stories among long-time
Kentwooders about leaking roofs at the Barn and Pumphouse
theaters. Also sound system failures and human and animal
interruptions, but nobody on duty last night could remember
a TOTAL power failure! This is the stuff of legend!
Cool heads prevailed. Sheldon determined that the entire
neighborhood was without lights and announced it to
our audience. I am pleased to note a small emergency
floodlight in the back of the theater stayed on. I was
also pleased to note that the entire audience stayed
in their seats and took things with good nature. Although
after 5 minutes some members started to remind us of
the "Show must go on" tradition. About that time the
ushers and the stage manager produced flashlights. Around
the 10 minute mark our stage manager appeared again
with a candelabra and burning candles. I tell you, you
can find ANYTHING in the Kentwood prop room! One of
the cast members proceeded to tell ghost stories. By
this time Sheldon had sent a scout out into the nearby
neighborhood and he returned with reports of a DWP crew
working at the top of a nearby pole.
Around the 20 minute mark the
first audience members started to leave. The ushers
assured them that they could come back on Saturday.
Still they were in good spirits. Around the 30 minute
mark enough additional candles and flashlights had been
produced to somewhat light the stage. At this time cast
member Drew Fitzsimmons started to entertain the crowd
with Comedy Shakespeare and when that ran out he was
joined by a couple of young audience members in a couple
of Tap-Dance routines. It was now around 8:45PM and
we were again assured by our scouts that the lights
(according to the DWP) would soon be on. After another
10 minutes of improvised fun the power came on and at
exactly 9PM the curtain went up. We lost less that 1/2
of the crowd. It should be mentioned that during the
dark period I offered to sing my Tom Leher songs, but
Sheldon didn't think the audience was ready for that.
(Hal Fisher)
As I remember West Side Story
had the same problem one night. Rappaport had the truck
knock off the fire hydrant and West Side Story had the
infamous "Murderer Loose" in the neighborhood
closing night and we were locked down by the Inglewood
police until 2:30 AM, during which time our Emmy award
winning audience member Tony Schaloub was graced, along
with the rest of us riff raff, with audition pieces
by the cast and a complete "Drag" show presented
by Jeff Wallach (as his alter ego), handing out the
Diva Awards. The funniest of which was to our "Tony"
for "The best impression of a prince by a queen.
(Dave Parke)
I was Theater Manager the night
the truck knocked the fire hydrant off and when the
audience came out for intermission, I told everyone
Kentwood had arranged an intermission show on the patio.
(Larry Jones)
I was at the theater the night
the pole outside got hit. What a crash! Also, I had
brought students (some gang member types too) to the
performance the night we were locked down. They never
let "Miz Cole" forget that I had told them
it was a very safe neighborhood and their parents could
trust me to drive them there. (Sheridan Cole)
Kentwood Member Jerry Less is
an active member of the WorkShop Theater Company, New
York City, and is currently directing a production of
a new play, JAZZ AGE, by Allen Knee. According to Jerry,
Allen Knee also wrote the play, THE MAN WHO WAS PETER
PAN, for the Workshop Theater, which became the movie
FINDING NEVERLAND. (Charlotte Lee Schildkret)
Rob Duval’s high school theater
class won a national competition recently.
Birthdays
Lee Polack 3/1, Sheldon Metz
3/8, James Knudsen 3/10, Jerry Less 3/11, Linda Parke
3/14, Barbara Brophey 3/15, Jean Thomas 3/15, Mary Steelsmith
3/16, Bill Harred 3/22, Rob Duval 3/24, Stan Jones 3/24,
Carla Coppock 3/27 & Dorothy Naftalin 3/31. Happy
Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you…
Anniversaries
Tom & Barbara Brophey 03/04.
Congratulations!
