Big Thanks for Great Auditions

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Vanity Theater Monday and Tuesday nights to audition for the Sugar Creek Players' production of To Kill a Mockingbird.

After going through the dreaded anxiety every director has hours before the first night of auditions — "Will anyone show up?" — everyone who took the stage to do cold readings turned that anxiety into excitement and energy.

If this was a sports team and not a theater production, I'd say "we're two deep at every position," which means we had at least (at least) two great auditions for every party. That's great for our production, but tough on the production team to make difficult casting decisions.

Some actors have been notified about call backs. If you were not asked to come back, don't freak out — that doesn't mean you won't be offered a part. It means that we saw enough of you, liked you a lot for a specific part, etc.

A cast list will be posted here at some point on Thursday. I'll send it to the website manager of the Sugar Creek Players, and when I get a chance, I'll post a hard copy on the front door of the theater. By Thursday night, I will email everyone who will be offered a part. You will need to reply to that email to accept the part.

Our first rehearsal will be Sunday evening, March 6 at the Vanity Theater. Doors will open no later than 5:30 and we'll begin our meeting at 5:45 p.m. Please be on time. We'll do some paperwork and announcements, read through at least the first half of the play, take a break for pizza, and finish reading the play (or if things go quickly, re-read a part of the play).

I will have a pretty solid rehearsal schedule for you Sunday night. Right now, I'd like for everyone in the cast to plan to attend on Sunday and on Monday (at 6:30 p.m.). We probably will not rehearse for the remainder of next week.

Again, thanks to everyone who came last night and thanks in advance to those returning tonight for call backs!

— Jim

Cast List Announced for "The Women"

The Sugar Creek Players Production of The Women

Cast List

Mary — Chris Amidon

Little Mary — Lanie Rogers

Sylvia — Niki Hutson

Edith — Stephanie Pool

Peggy — Jill Rogers

Nancy — Lynne Miles-Morillo

Crystal Allen — Crystal Benedicks

Miss Fordyce and Helene — Jane Hardy

Miriam Aarons — Stephanie Reinert

Countess deLage —Nancy Rodenbeck

Olga — Joyce Meyer

Cook — Sarah Comerford

Mrs. Morehead — Lani Ropkey

Miss Shapiro — Andrea Presslor

Miss Trimmerback and 2nd Society Lady — Sharon Hankins

Jane — Allison Clark

Nurse — Terry Swift

Exercise Instructress — Pam Sacco

Princess Tamara — Ashley Newton

Lucy — Dottie McCormick

Miss Watts and 1st Society Lady — Alice Phillips

Sadie — Jennifer Jeffers

Dowager — Barbara Walden

Debutante and Model — Abby Rodenbeck

Girl in distress and Hairdresser — Jesse Barton

Hairdresser and Salesgirl — Kelli Demoret

Production Staff

Director — Beth Swift

Assistant Director and Stage Manager — Connie Ford Pack

Co-Producer — Jim Amidon

Co-Producer — Jerry Bowie

Properties and Set Coordinator — Amy Gillan

Costume Designer — Andrea Bear

Lighting Designer — Tyler Bernet

Assistant to the Producers — Sammie Amidon

Production Dates at the Vanity Theater

April 16-18 and April 23-25

Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children under 12

Call 765-362-7077 for Tickets

Auditions Set for The Women

February 24, 2010 — Auditions for the Sugar Creek Players production of The Women will be held at the Vanity Theater in downtown Crawfordsville Monday and Tuesday, March 1-2, from 6-8:00 p.m.

There are roles for up to 35 women and one young girl age 10-11.

Beth Swift will be directing the play the 1930s classic, which was written by Claire Boothe Luce. It has also been adapted to a pair of Hollywood motion pictures.

Sugar Creek Players Present The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood

February 11, 2010 — The Sugar Creek Youth Players will present The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood on the final two weeks in February. The play will be performed at the Vanity Theater February 19-21 and February 26-28. Curtain times are 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoons.

A comedy written by Mary Lynn Dobson and directed by Nancy Rodenbeck, The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood is a completely different take on the 100-year-old classic.

“This play is not the traditional telling of the Robin Hood story,” said Rodenbeck, who has been involved with Vanity Theater productions for 18 years. “It is written as a comedy, with the Merry Men uttering “Boo Hiss” every time Prince John's name is mentioned. That sounded like a good excuse for audience participation!”

The frantically funny play follows Robin Hood and his Merry Men as they steal from the rich and give to the poor. But in this version, Robin Hood’s ego is bigger than the stage; the scheming Sheriff of Nottingham would rather be bowling; the Merry Men will do anything for Ho-Ho’s; Prince John bans Girl Scout Cookies; and a good-natured “Town’s Gal” keeps the story moving — and her face in every scene of the show.

Because the original play features roles for only 14 actors, Rodenbeck took a novel approach and double-cast the 10 leading parts, all of which are substantial roles (more than 60 lines). That allowed her to involve more children (ages 9 to 18) and avoid losing children to late-winter colds and flu.

“Yes, it has been double the work, but also allowed extra children to be involved,” said Rodenbeck of double-casting the play. “Forty-five children auditioned for 14 roles. I was able to cast 27 kids by doubling 10 roles and adding a few extras.”

She’s split the cast into two parts — a “green cast” and a “red cast” — and each cast will perform three of the six productions. When not playing their major roles, cast members will appear in smaller parts. The “green cast” will perform leading roles on February 19, 21, and 27, while the “red cast” will perform leading roles on February 20, 26, and 28.

“Both casts have had exactly the same number of rehearsals and both casts have excellent actors,” added Rodenbeck. “It’s been fun to see how each actor has brought something different to the parts. And it’s a great reason for people to come see the play twice!”

The leading role of Robin Hood will be played by David Samuelsen (green cast) and Austin Covington (red cast), while Lady Marian is played by Emily Prosser (green cast) and Abby Rodenbeck (red cast). Those four actors have combined to star in 32 Vanity Theater productions.

The villains — Prince John and Sheriff of Nottingham — also feature experienced actors. Davis Thompson (green) and Trey Rogers (red) share the role as Prince John, while Steven Samuelsen (green) and Kenny Rusk (red) share the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Emily Cox (green) and Sammie Amidon (red) serve as the play’s narrators (the Town’s Gal), and the Lady in Waiting part is shared by Abbey Sharts (green) and Elizabeth Hutson (red).

The Sugar Creek Youth Players production of The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood is produced by Carol Rusk and sponsored by Arni’s. Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children 12 and under. Tickets may be reserved by calling the box office at 362-7077. The box office is located at 122 South Washington Street, and is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The box office also opens one hour before each show.

The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood stars 27 children from Montgomery County, including: David Samuelsen and Austin Covington as Robin Hood (& Rich Man); Emily Prosser and Abby Rodenbeck as Lady Marian (& Poor Lady with Baby); Davis Thompson and Trey Rogers as Prince John (& Guard); Steven Samuelsen and Kenny Rusk as the Sheriff of Nottingham (& Guard); Emily Cox and Sammie Amidon as Town's Gal (& Debbie); Abbey Sharts and Elizabeth Hutson as Lady in Waiting (& Mary); Lee Stockwell and Evan Demaree as Friar Tuck(& Lionel); Ben Mikek and Alex Hughes as Will Scarlet (& Donald); Betsy Rodenbeck and Melissa Sering as Little John(& Lady Laughalot); Skylar VanScoyoc and Lanie Rogers as Allan Adale(& Beulah of Bellowsbank); Becca Adams, Josie Beach, Vyctoria Gardner, and Betsy Swift as Fawning Ladies; Lindsey Riggen and Marilla Samuelsen as the Sign Holders; and Katie Evans as the Basket Lady.

Sugar Creek Players Present Miracle on 34th Street

November 25, 2009 — The Sugar Creek Players will present the time-honored Christmas classic Miracle on 34^th Street in early December on consecutive weekends at the historic Vanity Theater in downtown Crawfordsville.

The spirited production opens Friday, December 4 at 8:00 p.m. Performances are scheduled for 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, December 4-5 and 11-12, with 2:00 p.m. matinee performances on December 6 and December 13. The production is sponsored by J.M. Thompson Insurance and is directed by Kristijonas Paltanavicius.

Paltanavicius is native of Lithuania and attends Wabash College. While new to the Vanity Theater, Paltanavicius has a distinguished background of acting and directing theatrical and musical ensembles in his home country, and is majoring in theater at Wabash.

“I have been able to take a look at an American classic from a totally different perspective, which has allowed me to adapt it with European directorial techniques, namely lots of movement and character transformation,” said Paltanavicius.

The theatrical version is based on the Academy Award-winning film from 1947, which captured Oscars for Best Writing, Best Original Story, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role. It was also nominated for Best Picture.

It’s another Christmas in New York City, only this year Macy’s Santa Claus is the real deal — or is he? The script follows Kris Kringle (played by Steve Hester) when he is hired to replace Macy’s intoxicated Santa Claus just prior to the start of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. After charming Macy’s customers and capturing good will across the New York City, Kringle soon finds himself in the New York State Supreme Court defending his identity and even Christmas itself.

Defended in court by the optimistic young lawyer, Fred Gailey (Mike Swift), Kris makes believers of nearly every person in the city — even the skeptical nine-year-old Susan (Amelia Vasquez) and her common sense mother, Doris (Cheri Clark).

“This is the perfect show to get people in the spirit for the holidays,” said Paltanavicius. “We have a large and wonderful cast, which has come together nicely. The show is touching, thoughtful, and hilariously funny at times.”

The cast includes Vanity Theater veterans like Hester, Swift (Fred Gailey), Niki Hutson (Miss Adams), Mike Rossi (Julian Shellhammer), Christopher Adams (Granville Sawyer), and Alex Hughes (R.H. Macy), but also includes newer performers like Paul Vasquez (Charlie Halloran), Monte Thompson (Thomas Mara), and Jim Amidon (Judge Henry Harper).

Chris Adams as Sawyer and Mike Rossi as Julian Shellhammer provide the funniest moments in Miracle on 34^th Street. “Those two actors, in particular, have done a wonderful job of adding depth to what in the movie are fairly small characters,” said Paltanavicius.

“This is the perfect way to get in the spirit of Christmas,” said co-producer Lois Hepburn. “It’s a heart-warming story and we have so many talented actors bringing it to life.”

Tickets for Miracle on 34^th Street will go on sale Saturday, November 28 at the box office at 122 South Washington Street during “Downtown Party Night.” Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children, and can be purchased during normal box office hours (11 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays) or reserved by phone at 362-7077.

The 31-member cast includes Tyler Abraham, Christopher Adams, Jim Amidon, Sammie Amidon, Annee Clark, Cheri Clark, Kenn Clark, Matthew Clark, Vyctoria Gardner, Morgan Hepburn, Steve Hester, Lauren Howell, Alex Hughes, Niki Hutson, Olivia McKenna, Alex Orton, Lanie Rogers, Leda Rossi, Mike Rossi, Will Rossi, Andrew Samuelsen, Riley Slavens, Mike Swift, Terry Swift, Davis Thompson, Monte Thompson, Robert Tower, Amelia Vasquez, Paul Vasquez, Bernie Williams, Erin Williams.

The stage crew comprises Matthew Clark, Austin Covington, Morgan Hepburn, Abby Rodenbeck, Christine Rossi, and Michael Sering.

2009-2010 Vanity Theater Season

Announcing the 2009-2010 Vanity Theater Season:

Sugar — Based on “Some Like It Hot” — September 25-27; October 2-4

Based on the film “Some Like It Hot,” Sugar chronicles the zany lives of two male musicians of the prohibition era who witness a gang slaying. Memorable musical numbers include Penniless Bums, The Beauty That Drives Men Mad, We Could Be Close, Beautiful Through and Through, and November Song.

Miracle on 34th Street — December 4-6 and 11-13

A small girl’s belief in Santa and the magic of the holiday are at stake in this hilarious, tender, and charming show for the entire family — a Christmas classic!

The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood — February 19-21 and 26-28

In this Sugar Creek Players Youth Production, Robin — in his never ending quest to aid the needy — encounters a lovely damsel-in-distress; an ever-scheming sheriff who would rather be bowling; a gold-hoarding, bad-guy monarch wannabe; and a good-natured “Town’s Guy” who manages to make his way into every scene, whether he’s in it or not.

The Women — April 16-18 and 23-25

Clare Boothe Luce’s social satire The Women is set in the world of high society wives in New York City during the height of the Great Depression.

Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, Jr. — June 11-13 and 18-20

Adapted from Alice in Wonderland, this fast-paced stage version features updated dialogue and new arrangements of Disney classics like I’m Late, The Un-Birthday Song, and Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.

West Side Story — July 30-August 1 and August 6-8

The world’s greatest love story takes to the streets in this landmark Broadway musical that is one of the theatre’s finest accomplishments. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is transported to modern-day New York City as two young, idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the American “Jets” and Puerto Rican “Sharks.”

Announcing Our New Website!

The Sugar Creek Players are pleased to announce the establishment of our new website!

This new site will allow us to keep our content current, post photographs, read directors' notes, and celebrate our wonderful Vanity Theater.