Volume 12, Number 9 May, 2006
Main Stage Series Concludes!
Love, Sex, and the IRS
Opens This Weekend
Thursday, May 4, 2006 is ACT I's ninety-ninth opening night, and this time the show is the comedy Love, Sex, and the IRS by Jane Milmore and Willliam Van Zandt. The production opens for a two weekend, six performance run, playing Thursdays and Fridays (May 4, 5, 11, 12) at 7:00 pm and Sundays (May 7 and 14) at 2:00. All seats are $5.00. The Main Stage series comedy is the concluding offering of ACT I's Season 26, themed "You can fool all of the people some of the time." In Love, Sex, and the IRS, the con game involves fooling the IRS. Two male room mates, Jon and Leslie, concoct a scheme to cheat on their income taxes by posing as a married couple (with Leslie as the "wife." The production is sponsored by Cedar River Ink of Vinton.
The
cast of Love, Sex, and the IRS is made up of several new faces to ACT I,
as well as a few returning faces who have been absent for a while. Cody
Robison and Steve Anderson appear as Jon and Leslie, respectively. Steve
makes his debut with ACT I. Cody has appeared in several ACT I productions
during his high school years. He was seen most recently in Romeo and
Juliet and Kiss Me, Kate. Cody's onstage mother Vivian is
played by his real life mother, Danielle Robison. Danielle has worked
behind the scenes for ACT I in the past but this is her first onstage role.
Kasey Tumilty makes her ACT I debut as Kate. Rose Huber, who has
previously appeared in some of our ACT I STAGE! children's theatre productions,
graduates to the Main Stage as Connie. Doug Martens, who appeared on stage
for the first time as the MC in our recent variety show On Broadway,
which he also co-directed, appears as Reverend Lovejoy. Long time ACT I
veteran Ray Bookmeier, who has been playing roles large and small for over ten
years as well as having two stints as a director, appears as IRS agent Floyd
Spinner.
Love, Sex, and the IRS is directed by Mike Modrow, in his first stint as director. Mike is also seen onstage in the role of Mr. Jansen. Mike has been seen onstage in several recent ACT I productions, including Noises Off, Blithe Spirit, and The Diary of Adam and Eve. Mike previously appeared in this play while he was in the military while stationed in Alaska's Aleutian Islands, in what is purported to be the only theatre on U.S. soil located in the eastern hemisphere. Joining Mike as Assistant Director and Stage Manager is Grace Weber, who recently joined us when she made her debut in November as Eve in The Diary of Adam and Eve. The set for the production was created by Ed Cardwell.
Rehearsal Photographs
For additional information about this production, including more photographs and other information, go to the Love Sex, and the IRS show page of this website at www.act1.org/irs.htm.
The ACT I Ticket information line and Palace Theatre Box Office number is (319) 472-9957! Call today for Reservations for Love, Sex, and the IRS!
Lend Me a Tenor
enjoys Successful Run
Our Main Stage Series production Lend Me a Tenor, concluded its run in March. The farce was enjoyed by approximately 425 patrons. Featured in the cast were Anthony Bopp, Linda Merritt, David Canaday, Rachel Kramer, Cathi Calderwood, Bunny Feller, Jill g. Lockard-Bopp, and Jesse Bunge. The play was directed by Steve Arnold, assisted by Suzy Westlund, with set by Jim Huber. The production was sponsored by Clingman Pharmacy of Vinton. (Or is that Cleveland?)
Performance Photographs from Lend Me a Tenor
The Top Ten Best Lines from Lend Me a Tenor:
10. Never trust a man in tights.
9. If the shrimp stays pink, the audience gets it. If it turns green, we feed it to the stage hands.
8. You've got TWO girls in there?
7. Suck-a the claws!
6. The fur is gone?
5. Tito, please, put down that fork! This is NOT an opera!
4. SO TAKE-A YOU PILLS!
3. We can prop him up and play
a record! Add a few lines about how he was wounded in the battle of
Cyprus,
then carry him around the stage on a stretcher!
2. Was I ..... good .... tonight?
1. You look like the Chrysler Building!
For additional information about this production, including more photographs and other information, go to the Lend Me a Tenor show page of this website at www.act1.org/tenor.htm.
ACT I's 27th Season Opens in July with Milestone Production
ACT I's twenty-seventh season opens in July with our 100th production! Our ACT I STAGE! children's theatre production for 2006 gets our new season underway with our Stage One Summer Theatre Camp in Vinton.The camp kicks off on Monday, June 26 at the Palace Theatre in Vinton. After a three-day Orientation and Workshop Session, each camper will be cast in Calamity James, A Rootin' Tootin' Fast Shootin' Western. Our summer camp musical was written by Jan McLean, Peter Hill, Neil Jackson, and Doug Williams of Upstage Productions in Victoria, Australia. Camp Coordinator Marcy Horst discovered Upstage Productions on the internet and has enjoyed corresponding with math teacher/writer/director Doug Williams on-line throughout the negotiation of performance rights for this production. ACT I Stage! One has also been granted permission for use of Calamity James original artwork by Australian Rob Mullarvey for use on any promotional materials.
Although written by Australians, the script is set in the mythical American Wild West town of Fortune Gully. Fortune Gully is beset with bad guys who are making life miserable for the townsfolk. A hero is needed and, as if a dream has come true, Calamity James stumbles into town. He is unanimously elected sheriff and proceeds to unravel the mystery which surrounds the disappearance of Mister Fortune, the town's founder. In the final round-up everyone receives their just rewards.This musical in seven scenes is suited to a large cast of lower and upper elementary and middle school students. The well-written script spotlights Good Guys, including Calamity James, Mother, Miss Fortune, Mr. Fortune, Fortune Cookies, Townpeople and Card Players, and Bad Guys, including Banker, Banker's Gang, Bad Bart, and Bad Bart's gang. Calamity James features 12 original songs.Returning Stage! One directors Marcy Horst, Shirale Hanson, Sheila Monson, April Ahrenholz, and Joan Cooling look forward to working on this unique and original show. Plans for Orientation and Workshop Week include not only music, acting and staging lessons, but a bit of cultural, historical and geographical study of Australia. Camp culminates with production performances on July, 26, 27, 29, and 30.The remainder of our 2006 - 2007 season will be announced soon! Information will be posted on the website as soon as possible!
Yet More Opera in Benton County
On Our Stage
5 - 10 - 15 - 20 - 25 Years Ago
T
For additional information about this production, including photographs and a complete cast list by character, go to the My Three Angels show page of this website at www.act1.org/angels.htm.
On May 15 - 19, 1996, ACT I presented The Foreigner, by Larry Shue, at the Old Creamery Theatre in Garrison. The show marked the directing debut of Larry Adams-Bowers, who went on to stage some of ACT I's finest productions. The cast featured Eric Upmeyer in the leading role of Charlie Baker. Also in the cast were Diana Lamphier, Larry Adams-Bowers, Le Cox, Steve Arnold, Ray Bookmeier, Matt Salger, Jessica Coulter, and Maggie Karr.
D
For additional information about this production, including photographs and a complete cast list by character, go to The Foreigner show page of this website at www.act1.org/foreigner.htm.
On April 20, 21, and 22, ACT I presented a semi staged readers' theatre production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, at the Ray House in Vinton. The searing drama about the Salem witch trials was directed by Le Cox and featured Larry Adams-Bowers as John Proctor, Le Cox as Elizabeth Proctor, and Jaimie Tucker as Abigail. Also in the cast were Ed Dickerson, Linda Radcliffe, Greg Walston, Jessica Rundlett, Josie Rundlett, Beverly Adams Bowers, Bill Owens, Ron Baldwin, Steve Arnold, and Len Taylor. The stage manager / house manager was Deb Vaughn.
For additional information about this production, including photographs and a complete cast list by character, go to The Crucible show page of this website at www.act1.org/crucible.htm.
On May 11, 13, 18, 19, and 20, ACT I presented the comic farce Harvey by Mary Chase at the Palace Theatre in Vinton. The cast featured Darran Sellers as Elwood P. Dowd. Also in the cast were Cathi Calderwood, Kari Douma, Elise Dickerson, Bonnie Carpenter, Gerald Horst, Alex Vasquez, Steve Arnold, Lois Ewins, Ron Baldwin, and Greg Douma.
For additional information about this production, including photographs and a complete cast list by character, go to Harvey show page of this website at www.act1.org/harvey.htm.
ACT I TRIVIA QUIZ
Roommates
Love, Sex, and the IRS
is a play about two roommates who try to cheat on their income tax. ACT I
has produced numerous other shows featuring stories about roommates. Below
are listed the first names of several groups or pairs of roommates. Name
the past ACT I show in which each appears. (Last names are omitted because
in some cases it will immediately reveal the show!)
1. Tintinabula, Panacea, Geminae, Vibrata, and Gymnasia
2. Henry and Hugh
3. Hettie and Mimsey
4. Molly, Pepper, Duffy, July, Tessie, and Kate
5. Florence and Olive
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!
Door
Comedies
Lend Me a Tenor is a perfect example of a door comedy, with five doors
onstage and an appropriate amount of mayhem coming in and out of them
between the two rooms on the set. ACT I has staged many past productions
in which doors play a prominent role. How many of these past ACT I
productions can you remember?
1.
Like Lend Me a Tenor, this “door comedy” featured a split set with a
cutaway wall, with one of the doors leading to an elevator.
The Girls in 509
2.
Among the comic routines coming in and out of the doors of this comedy was a
door which was opened and closed by an invisible character.
Harvey
3. Although not strictly a comedy, the ACT I production for this play was a “concept production,” which used a stylized, semi-abstract set, featuring five closed doors that represent the five characters, with black curtains instead of solid walls. Lost in Yonkers
4. This rollicking door comedy set in a hospital featured a dizzying array of comings and goings through the four doors and one window of the set, including guys in drag, bodies on gurneys, a crashing wheel chair, and a young man trying to elude a police officer. It Runs in the Family
5. Possibly the ultimate door comedy, this show featured actors coming and going through eight doors and one window on the set, with all these openings seen from both sides at various times in the show. Noises Off
That's Grease Paint for May, 2006!
To look back at previous online issues, visit our Grease Paint Archives page by clicking here!
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