General Meeting

The General Meeting this month will be on Wednesday, May 18, 2005, 8:00 P.M. at the theater, Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90045.

Hospitality

Meeting Hospitality for the May General Meeting will be provided by Lee and Judy Polak. Thanks!

Workshop

Kentwood Players Workshop for May 2005, directed by Philip Brickey, will be a staged reading of an original play, BRINGING UP BABY. Phil reported he will also be a part of the reading along with Kentwood Members Linda Parke, Dave Parke and Christine Joëlle Torreele. According to workshop chairperson Gert Nord, we are booked with workshops through March 2006. Let Gert know if you would like to do a workshop in 2006!!

Company May/June Production
Music by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George Furth

Director Aileen-Marie Scott and producers Larry Jones and Sheridan Cole would like to let everyone know COMPANY opened May 6th to a VERY appreciative, "standing room only" audience. Last week's performances garnered two RAVE REVIEWS! We urge everyone to rush to the theater and see this fabulous production as many times as possible!!

Work Sunday

The director and the producers of COMPANY would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to the following caring members and friends who joined us for hot dogs and such on Work Sunday: Miriam Amster, Barbara Brophey, Tom Brophey, Arlene Cohen, Maria E. Cohen, Michael I. Cohen, Sheridan Cole, Lateefah DeVoe, Hal Fisher, Andrew Fitzsimmons, Bill Goldyn, Danielle Handel, Bill Harred, David Hurley, Larry Jones, James Knutsen, Mark Lucero, Ben Lupejkis, Julia Maggs, Bob Matthews, Paul Mazerov, Susie McCarthy, Treva Merritt, Sheldon Metz, Melvin Miller, Calia Mintzer, Frank J. Olivadoti, David Parke (or should it be Dave?!), Lori Pereslete, Tony Pereslete, Toula Pessah, Richard Potthoff, Tara Potthoff, Sara Poulos, David Scales, Nickie Scates, Bob Schnauss, Aileen-Marie Scott, Adina Silo, Jeanne Spain, Susan Stangl, Julie Urbanek, Sherman Wayne, Fred M. Wolf

The Rainmaker July/August Production
By N. Richard Nash

Our July/August production of The Rainmaker, by N. Richard Nash, will be directed by August Vivirito and will be produced by Ed Cotter and Jake Weisbarth.

Ed Cotter reports Director August Vivirito has a great cast together and will introduce the cast at the May General Meeting.

Light Up the Sky September/October Production
By Moss Hart

Our September/October production of Light Up the Sky will be directed by Kathleen Chapin.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown,/November/December Production
Music & Lyrics by Meredith Willson
Book By Richard Morris

The Kentwood Board has approved our November/December Production as The Unsinkable Molly Brown, a musical by Meredith Willson, which will be directed by Victoria Miller.

45 Seconds From Broadway January/February (2006)
By Neil Simon

The Kentwood Players Board has approved our January/February 2006 production as 45 Seconds From Broadway to be directed by Gail Barnardi.

Romeo & Juliet March/April Production
By William Shakespeare

Our March April 2006 production will be Romeo & Juliet, directed by Don Schlossman.

The Fantasticks May/June Production
Music by Harvey Schmidt
Book & Lyrics by Tom Jones

Our May June 2006 Production will be The Fantasticks, directed by Kirk Larson.

2005-2006 Elections to the Board

The Nominating Committee (Gail Bernardi, Chairperson, De Cotter, Sheridan Cole, Shari Barrett & Julia Maggs) will present to the membership its slate of candidates for the upcoming year as follows:

President Shellie James
Vice President/Membership Chairperson Gail Bernardi
Secretary Shari Barrett
Treasurer Catherine Rahm
Box Office Chairperson Julia Maggs
Bulletin Chairperson Larry Jones
House Manager Melvin Miller
Production Manager Phil Brickey
Programs & Postcards Tom Brophey
Technical Manager Bob Schnauss
Publicity Chairperson Ben Lupejkis
Season Ticket Chairperson Jenny Boone
Special Theater Parties Chairperson Calia Mintzer
Workshop & Scheduling Chairperson Gert Nord
Plays Committee Chairperson De Cotter
Plays Committee Member Alison Mattiza
Plays Committee Member Frank Olivadoti

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.

Kentwood Dinner Dance, Marcom Mask Awards for the 2004/2005 Season

The dinner dance committee is made up of: Calia Mintzer, Julia Maggs, Charlotte Lee Schildkret, Ben Lupejkis, Barbara Brophey, Tom Brophey, Shellee James, Lori Pereslete. More people may be added as we get closer to the event. A souvenir program for each person who attends will be prepared. We will have greetings and ads to raise money to cover some of the cost of the program. The ads will be priced as follows:
one line or a business card $l0.00
l/4 page......Submit art work $25.00
l/2 page......Submit art work $35.00
Full page.....Submit art work $50.00
Here is a one line sample: "Congratulations Kentwood Players on 55 years of successful
theater...Calia Mintzer and family." Please make checks payable to Kentwood Players. Also a note to all of the show's Producers: Calia needs your contact sheets for the invitations, which will be in your hands by the middle of May.

Marcom Masque Awards
Barbara Brophey has mailed the Marcom Masque Award ballots to eligible voters. Be sure to return your completed ballot by May 31. If you think you are eligible but did not receive a ballot, contact Barbara at once. To be eligible to vote you must have seen all the plays of the season as a member: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Picnic, Murder on the Nile, The 1940's Radio Hour, The Sunshine Boys, and Heaven Can Wait. The Marcom Masque Awards are Kentwood's own version of Broadway's Tony Awards.

Fourth of July Westchester Chamber Parade

Our own Hal Fisher is once again cast as UNCLE SAM in the 2005 Fourth of July Westchester Chamber Parade. This is a great opportunity for Kentwood Players to reach our local audience and in the past has been very successful. Come one come all, costumes a plus and Maria Cohen has again offered to help with costumes, so give her a call. There will be more information at the May and June Meetings and in next month's Bulletin.

Certificates of Merit

Calia Mintzer reports: Lori Pereslete, Production Manager, has kept a list of all production crews. If you have worked on 2 shows or more you will receive a Certificate of Merit, suitable for framing, at the Marcom Masque Awards Dinner Dance on June 25th, 2005. Invitations for this occasion will be going out the middle of May, to all members and guests and all actors who have been in Kentwood productions for this season. We, the Dinner Dance Committee, are collecting signatures from the members to be in the Souvenir Program. Michael Cohen is designing a special page for this purpose, the cost is $2.00 per signature. The signing will take place at the May Membership meeting. If you have a business to advertise we hope you will take out a l/2 page ad or even a whole page ad. Julia Maggs will be in charge of ads. We hope you are all planning to come to the Dance and support the winners.

Obituary

It is with great sadness I report the passing of Toula Pessah. Several members attended her funeral on Monday. Charlotte Lee Schildkret sent the following note:

"Toula Pessah. It's hard to believe her funeral was yesterday. Personally, I'm still in shock, the shock that was experienced by many who attended yesterday. (Incidentally, Toula "Played" to a full house on her special day of departure.) Toula was Kentwood's Hospitality Queen, always first in line to sign up and a willing volunteer to fill in when there was a blank or a drop-out. Toula's ready smile, warm greeting, generous nature and great sense of humor made doing hospitality with her a pleasure. Toula is a personality to be missed. And then there was, "Heaven Can Wait," a production in which Toula could participate without her accent getting in the way. Toula was an angel then and she's an angle now.

In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to any of the following organizations:

American Diabetes Association
POB 1131
Fairfax, VA 22038-1131

American Heart Association
816 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017

B'nai Tikvah Congregation
5320 West Manchester Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90045
(to either Sisterhood or Hazak)

Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel Sisterhood
10500 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Announcements

Alice Lunsford has written one of 8 ten-minute plays to be presented in a single night in "BENCHMARKS" at Theatre Forty, 241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, CA on Sundays, May 8, 15 and 22 at 7:00 PM. Admission is $10.00 and RSVR # is 818-693-0157.

Gail Bernardi will direct Alice's play "WALLS" to be performed by members of Theatre Forty. Alice is thrilled to be in the company of these excellent, professional writers and promises an exciting, diverse evening. All plays take place on a bench. We presented "Tourist Trap" with Eileen Cipriano, Randy Ball and Alice Lunsford and directed by Sheridan Cole at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre membership meeting on May 9. And two of my watercolors were in the Pacific Art Guild's Spring Art Show.

Bill Goldyn said, Even though I am not directing this one, it's sure to be one of the best at Hollywood High School. One of the leads (Jose Aguilar, a senior, was my Curly in Oklahoma!) just took first place at the Spotlight Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and is already getting contract deals . . . Hollywood High's production this year will be AIDA. The dates are June 3, 4, and 11 at 7:00 pm and June 12 at 2:00 pm. This is a wonderful production of Tim Rice and Elton John's masterpiece of tragic love between an Egyptian prince and his captured Nubian slave. If you're not seeing "Company" that night, come on up to Hollywood High and support this amazing production! It'll be beyond just worth the trip! I guarantee it!

Michele Rosen is in YIDDISH SHE-DEVILS at The Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 4th Street, Santa Monica, CA 310 394 9779. May 1, 6, 7, 8, 15, 22, 27, 28 and 29. June 3 & 4. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, Sunday Matinees at 2 PM

Elizabeth Bouton is playing the Baker's Wife in Into the Woods at the Camino Real Playhouse in San Juan Capistrano. Show dates are Fri.-Sun., May 6th to May 22. Please call 949-489-8082 and mention her name!
Susan Stangl is cast in "The Tempest" running at the Morgan-Wixson Theater April 29-May 29. She will be playing Alonso, the King (er, Queen) of Naples. Several of the traditionally male roles will be filled by women. Don Heath is playing Antonio.

May Birthdays

Michael Grinde 5/1, Jeanne Cosgrove 5/1, Phil Massey 5/3, Dagmar Schnauss 5/6, Melvin Miller 5/8, Pauline Herred 5/14, Elisabeth Miniham 5/15, Judy Polak 5/16, Treva Merritt 5/18, Mel Oshins 5/22, Hetty Sless 5/26, Pamla Abramson 5/28, Gloria Rosen 5/30, Dorthea Kavanough 5/31 and Rocky Miller 5/31. Happy Birthday all!

Anniversaries

Arnold and Charlotte Lee Schildkret 5/2, Arlene and Sheldon Cohen 5/14 and Rudi and Dorothea Toepfer, 5/24. Congratulations!

New Members

Vada Foster
Gypsy Foster

Respectfully Submitted,

Larry Jones