The past two weeks have been an exciting time at The Players Guild of Dearborn. We put the “finishing touches” on the summer’s renovation activities. Touch up the paint job. Clean everything. Dust everything. Vacuum everything. Put up the last pieces of chair rail. Install the last pieces of moulding. Clean everything. Dust everything. Vacuum everything. Throw out the last pieces of trash. Install the last pieces of carpeting.
Wow! The place looks like a million bucks and nothing like the Guild of last May. It’s a beautiful brand new theatre with a beautiful new Clubroom, lobby, foyer, and hallway. Come and see for yourself.
We also opened our 86th season with our production of The Fantasticks with music by Harvey Schmidt and the book and lyrics by Tom Jones. The cast includes Mike Moseley as El Gallo, Brian Townsend as Bellomy, Jeff Flannery as Hucklebee, Kimberly Elliot as Luisa, Michael Bollman as Matt, Steve Gautreau as Mortimer, and Tom Sparrow as Henry.
The orchestra is directed by Paul Abbott who also plays the piano. Other orchestra memebers are Richard Bright on Bass, Bob Busch on Percussion, and Marisa Madias-Kalasz on Harp.
The show is produced by Colleen Meade-Ripper and Tim Carney. Paul Bruce is the Director with Scott Rider as Assistant Director.
Bruce is a teacher at Dearborn’s Salina Intermediate School and several bus loads of Salina students, staff, and parents attended the final dress rehearsal on the Wednesday before Opening Night. The players greeted the students following the show.
Audiences for the three weekend performances were on the small side, but the show was enthusiastically received. Audience members also raved about the “new theatre.”
The Fantasticks will run for two more weekends. Tickets are available online at playersguildofdearborn.org. Playgoers may select their own seats from those available.
Meanwhile, rehearsals for The Mystery of Edwin Drood are underway. The cast includes the following:
Mr. William Cartwright, Chairman – Brian Townsend
Mr. Clive Paget / JOHN JASPER – Mitch Bradley
Miss Alice Nutting / EDWIN DROOD – Lindsey Brenz
Miss Angela Prysock / THE PRINCESS PUFFER – Valerie Mould
Miss Deidre Peregrine / ROSA BUD – Kimberly Elliott
Miss Janet Conover / HELENA LANDLESS – Colleen Meade-Ripper
Mr. Victor Grinstead / NEVILLE LANDLESS – Nasir Khawaja
Mr. Cedric Moncrieffe / THE REVEREND MR. CRISPARKLE – Chris Boudreau
Mr. Phillip Bax / BAZZARD – Inez Hernandez
Mr. Nick Cricker / DURDLES – Jake Dombrowski
Master Nick Cricker / DEPUTY – Ryan Owen
Mr. James Throttle, Stage Manager & Barkeep – James Mayne
Miss Violet Balfour/Beatrice – Allison Gilbert
Miss Isabel Yearsley/Wendy – Meg Kisch
Miss Florence Gill – Diane Cliff
Miss Gwendolyn Pynn – Noreen Kurowski
Mr. Harry Sayle/Horace – Jeffrey Nelson
Mr. Montague Pruitt/Shade of Jasper – Connor Garcia
Mr. Alan Eliot – Tim Carney
Mr. Christopher Lyon – Jeff Lokken
Our 86th season is underway. Join the fun.