Author: Jack Earles

The annual Children’s Theatre Workshop is happening at Putnam County Playhouse this week, July 22-27. Creator-Director Caroline Good has assembled her staff and there are about 30 participants involved.

 

The Workshop will conclude with a presentation of three original plays on Saturday, July 27, at 7 p.m.  Admission is free thanks to a grant from Arts Illiana. 

To read about Arts Illiana, click HERE.

The plays are The Three Pigateers written MJ Cooper and directed by Cooper and Kathi Elliot. It features Alex Yuhas, Ella Haltom, Aliana Wilson, Gloria Jones, Jeriden Vaughn, Caydee Johnson, Garrett Lamb-Young, Hannah Jernagan, and Liza Tischer. 

The next play is The Summer of Elves & Shoes written by Ellen Blackledge and directed by Craig Robinson.  It features performances by Avalyn Templeton, Quinn Dory, Tatum Wilson, Wyatt Schutter, Gibson Robbins, Elijah Neeley, Clark Squires, Noah Neeley, and Colton Hessler. 

The third play is I Hate Jury Duty written and directed by Ruby Sullivan.  Performers in this production are Cheyanne Newlin, Carson Squires, Silas Glessner, Levi Watkins, Ella Yuhas, Zoey Bond, Millie Jones, Lauren Wells, Keyli Hamblet, and Elliot Wright.

 

In addition to our playwrights and directors the CTW staff includes includes: Sarah Armitage, Kathi Elliott,  Rebecca Hebb, along with our super helpful and enthusiastic interns (all CTW and YTW alumni):  Catherine Ryan-Shager, Josie Cox, MJ Cooper, Ella Tischer, Josie Tischer, and Charlotte Tomamichel. 

Join us at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre on July 27 at 7 p.m. We’ll be looking for you!

Director Jack Randall Earles will hold two sessions of auditions for the play “Flowers For Algernon”, the final production of the 63^rd season of the Putnam County Playhouse. The first will be Sunday, July 21, at 3 p.m. and the second will be Monday, July 22, at 7 p.m. Both will be at the Michael McClaine Rehearsal Center at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre.

The play will be produced September 12-14 and September 18-21. Assistant director is Sandi Rossok and stage manager is Bart Jones. Set design is by Anna Harris and Linda Gjesvold.

To download an audition form and audition sides click here.

The production is being sponsored by:

To read more about our sponsor click HERE.

Leading roles available include Charlie Gordon, a special needs man who has his IQ increased by a scientific process. The play tells the story of his struggle and the struggles of those around him to adjust to his new life. Other roles include Dr. Strauss and Professor Nemur, the originators of the process; Charlie’s friend, Alice Kinian; his Mother and Father, sister Norma at age 8 and as a grown up, and co-workers Frank, Joe, Gina, and Mrs. Donner, Charlie’s landlady. and party guests at a teen get together and adults at a fete for Charlie at a local college. These are the adult roles male and female that will be double cast. The cast totals about 15+ performers.

Read more about the cast here.

Three younger younger performers are also needed. A girl, stage age 8, a boy stage age 8-10, and a teen age boy to play Charlie at those ages.

Read the director’s thoughts about the play HERE.

The 63rd season continues this week with performances of The Pink Panther Strikes again on July 17-20, the Children’s Workshop July 22-26, and the PG-Rated musical Something Rotten on August 15-17 & August 21-24.

The 63^rd season at Putnam County Playhouse continues with director Shelly McFadden’s production of “The Pink Panther Strikes Again”. It will be onstage July 11-13 and July 17-20. All tickets are $15 and all performances begin at 8 p.m. Tickets can be reserved by calling the box office at 653-5880 between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. daily Monday-Saturday. There are no online sales.

The show is being sponsored by Greene Realty.

Following the plot of the same-named movie closely, Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Dan Hankee) is being stalked by his nemesis former Inspector Dreyfuss (Brad Sandy).

When the inventor of the Doomsday Machine Dr. Fassbender (Sam Draper) and his daughter Margot (Ruby Sullivan) are kidnapped, Clouseau is assigned to the case – and the chase is on all over Europe.  He is joined by the sultry Olga (Fawn McFadden Helmer) whose loyalty comes into question.

Major supporting roles are taken by Bart Jones, Joshua Saul Bain, Brian Cox, Alan Zerkel, William Dory, Ric McFadden, and Cameron Wunderlich.

The large cast has many performers who play multiple roles including Kathy Arnold, Tara Smith, Jack Randall Earles, Anna Harris, and Brandon Wunderlich. Also appearing are Kathryn Dory and Jennifer Wunderlich.

The Pink Panthers are Joey Draper, Joe Fields, and cast members K. Dory, A. Harris, R. Sullivan and all three Wunderlichs!

To watch an interview with director Shelly McFadden click HERE.

Anna Harris is also the assistant director. Light and sound design is by Dustin Bond.  Set design is by Fawn McFadden Helmer. The light board operator is Emma (McFadden) Bousman and the sound board operators Ally (McFadden) Taylor and Jake Miller. Stage Manager is B. Wunderlich and the stage crew are The Pink Panthers and Corben Kirton.

Costumes are by Harris, S. McFadden, and Linda Gjesvold.

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The annual young students’ production of SHAKESPEARED! is this week at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre. Two groups will present differently inspired adaptations of Shakespeare’s comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”  The middle school production will be Friday, June 28, at 7 p.m. The high school production will be Saturday, June 29, at 7 p.m.  Tickets for both productions are available only at the door for $3 each. Children twelve years of age and younger are admitted free.

PCPH thanks Arts Illiana for its continued support.

First up on Friday will be the Young Bards in a highly physical eclectic version of the play directed by Eleanor Howard who will also play Egeus. It features Alex Gurnon as Bottom and Millie Larsen as Puck.

Others in the forest include Kate Larsen, Michael Henry, Evelyn Ryan-Shager, Hadley Roderick, Henry Wolfe, and Hollis Barcus.

Featured roles are taken by Alice Howard, Keyli Jefferson, Charlotte Jones, Savannah Wolfe, Olivia Reeves, Mairyn Huber, Tinzlee Coulson, Charlotte Jones, and Caleb Watkins.

On Saturday the Old Bards will take to the stage in a production directed by Caroline Good who is assisted by David Johnson (who also assisted with the Young Bards’ version). This ‘Dream’ is set in the 1950’s. Many of the performers play multiple roles.

It features Ellen Blackledge, Max Isaacs-Bailey, Josie Cox, Liel Watkins, and Catherine Ryan-Shrager. Other roles are taken by Ingrid Norris, Kendra Arruda, and Rhian Gillum.

Also appearing in this version are Adrianna Gillum, Ella Tischer, Nicolette Blackledge, Katie Funk.  The cast includes Marigrace Girton, Joslyn Cash, MJ Cooper and Cagney Huffman.

Costume coordinators are Josie Tischer and Miranda Brown. Viola Reeves is assisting Linda Gjesvold with the set.

You can still see Oklahoma! at the Putnam County Playhouse. There are performances Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (June 12-15). All performances begin at 8 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased ONLY by contacting the Box Office between 5 and 7 p.m. You can do so by telephone at 765-653-5880 or in person. Some performances are close to selling out. There are no online or Facebook ticket sales.

OK!

Auditions for the second musical of our 63rd season are this weekend. Director Vickie Parker will have two sessions of auditions for Something Rotten. The first will be Sunday, June 9, at 3 p.m. followed by a second session on Monday, June 9, at 7 p.m. Both will be at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre, home of the Putnam County Playhouse. The musical will be onstage August 15-17 & August 21-24.

It is being sponsored by:

Those auditioning are asked to sing 16 bars of a song. An accompanist will be provided. There will be reading from the script and a short dance session.

To read about the show and the roles available click here.

To read the director’s note click here.

To download an audition form and read audition sides click here.

Watch an interview with director Parker HERE.

The 63^rd season at Putnam County Playhouse will open with a production of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Oklahoma!  It will be produced June 6-8 and June 11-15. Tickets are on sale at the box office in person or by telephoning 765-653-5880 between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. daily except Sunday.

Single tickets are $15 and can be reserved by credit card during regular box office hours only. There are no online sales. Volunteers are only available to sell tickets during regular box office hours. Seats are available for all performances, but especially for the added performance, Tuesday, June 11.

The production is sponsored by First National Bank.

Director for Oklahoma! is Joshua S. Bain. Vocal and musical direction is by Kathryn Dory who is also the assistant director. Choreography is by Sarah Armitage and Jack Randall Earles. Lynne Tweedie is the production pianist. She is joined in the pit by Anita Newlin on keyboard, Dede Schwomeyer on percussion, Marcia Boswell on flute, Rebecca Terry on trumpet, and Neva Verbik on clarinet. Rehearsal pianist is Morgan Asher.

To watch an interview with director Bain, click HERE.

The cast will be headed by Grace Buehler as Laury Williams and Dustin Bond as Curly McClain. The comedy leads are played by Rachel Holland as Ado Annie and Ross Hanson (making his PCPH debut) as Will Parker.  Lacey Ring-Verbik plays Aunt Eller and Cameron Wunderlich is featured as Jud Fry. Buehler last appeared at PCPH as Nancy in Oliver, Bond was last seen as Homer in Morning’s At Seven. Holland was Hope Hampton in last season’s Anything Goes and Wunderlich was featured in The Play That Goes Wrong. Hanson is making his PCPH debut. Ring-Verbik is returning to the PCPH stage after a few seasons. She was featured in productions of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum and Once Upon A Mattress.

Dylan Arnold is the peddler man, Ali Hakim; Kate Baughman is Gertie Cummins; Scott Armitage is Andrew Carnes, and Chris Wurster is Cord Elam.

The farmers and cowmen include Noah D. Pettit, Clay Glessner, Trenton Bright, Miles Jernagan, Corben Kirton, and Aiden Woods.

The cast of ladies includes Ashton Kirton, Suzanne Funk, Hannah Newlin, Hallie Rice, Emily Gray, Hannah McLaughlin, Catherine Ryan-Shrager, Samantha Funk, Cheyanne Newlin, Payton Kumpf, Clara Everett, and Josie Cox.

Joining ensemble members in the dream ballet with Kumpf, Glessner, and Cameron Wunderlich in leading roles are Jocelyn Gardner, Chloe Gardner, and Raylee O’Connor.

Costumes are by Pat Armitage.

Stage manager for the show is Brandon Wunderlich assisted by Jennifer Wunderlich who is also the props manager. Stage crew includes Johnny Stogsdill. Set design was by Bain and C. Wunderlich. Set construction was by Cameron, Brandon, Jennifer & Mark Wunderlich, Bond, Ashton & Corben Kirton, and Linda Gjesvold.

Technical director is Bond. The sound board will be operated by Shelby Merrill and the light board operator is M.J. Cooper.

The 63^rd season of Putnam County Playhouse will kick off with an Open House at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre on Sunday, June 2, at 2 p.m. The public is invited to attend. Light refreshments will be served. The event will continue until 4 p.m.

Musical numbers from the season opening musical Oklahoma! will be onstage throughout the afternoon. The popular musical will be onstage June 6-8 and June 11-15. Tickets will be on sale for all performances. Season tickets and individual tickets for all productions will be on sale during the open house.

The 2024 season also includes the comedy The Pink Panther Strikes Again in July, the Tony-Award winning musical Something Rotten in August, and the play Flowers For Algernon in September.

Board members will be on hand to answer questions.  See you at the barn!

If you are signed up for this season’s Youth Theatre Workshop – SHAKESPEARED! you can now download the script for A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the YTW page HERE. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the link!

Auditions for the July production at Putnam County Playhouse will be this weekend. Director Shelly McFadden will hold two sessions to find her cast. The first will be Sunday, May 5, at 3 p.m. followed by the second session on Monday, May 6, at 7 p.m.  Both will be held at the Michael McClaine Rehearsal Center.

To read about the show and download an audition form, click HERE.

‘The Pink Panther Strikes Again’ will be produced July 11-13 and July 17-20.

The show is sponsored by Greene Realty.

The characters include Inspector Jacques Clouseau, Dreyfuss, Dr. Fassbender, Cato, Olga, and many others.  Many of those chosen for the cast will play multiple roles. Those who participate as members of the stage crew will be called Pink Panthers have specifically choreographed moves when making the scene changes.

To see a list of characters click HERE.

Director McFadden asks that all of those auditioning be at least 18 years of age.

To read what Shelly thinks about the show, click HERE.

To watch an interview that Shelly gave to The Man In The Chair click HERE.