Second Week – Final 2012 Production – “See How They Run”

Peggy McClaine, Jack Randall Earles, Eleanor Howard

See How They Run enters its second week at Putnam County Playhouse.  For an evening of fun and laughs, join the cast at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre.  Help us close out the 51st season when we take the stage Wednesday-Saturday, September 19-22.

Tickets can be reserved by calling 765-653-5880 after 5 p.m. daily.  All tickets are $10, and all performances are at 8 p.m.

Come To See “How They Run”



The 2012 season of Putnam County Playhouse closes with a production of the Philip King comedy See How They Run. Directed by Larry Sutton, the British farce will have performances September 13-15 and September 19-22.

Tickets can be reserved by calling 765-653-5880 after 5 p.m. Monday – Saturday. All tickets are $10 and all performances are at 8 p.m. at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre, Greencastle.

Corporate sponsor for the show is Shuee & Sons Appliances.

To read more about our sponsor click HERE.

See How They Run is not just the title of the show, it’s a description of the action. It has all the elements of the classic farce including mistaken identities, fast-paced chases, and missing apparel. What happened to the Vicar’s pants? Why is the Bishop in his nightclothes? What did the maid do with the Corporal’s uniform? All these answers and more are hilariously revealed by the end of the evening.

The plot is put into motion by Penelope Toop (Caroline Good), the wife the local Vicar (Jack Randall Earles). When she decides to have an evening out with an old friend (Brad Sandy), everything goes wrong.

Brad Sandy
Jack Randall Earles

Caroline Good

Good was most recently seen at PCPH as The Detective in Clue: The Musical. Earles was the director of The Curious Savage in July.  Brad Sandy performed last season in Camelot as Mordred.

Misunderstandings involving the local spinster (Eleanor Howard), the wise-cracking maid (Peggy McClaine), and a Bishop (Bill Wieland) are fast and furious. Add another Vicar (Jim Green), an escaped Russian spy (T.J. Tincher), and an army sergeant (Lita Sandy), and the fun is multiplied again.
Eleanor Howard
Bill Wieland



Peggy McClaine












Howard appeared earlier this season in Thoroughly Modern Millie, as did Tincher. Green has done technical work all season, and Lita Sandy directed last year’s Cheaper By the Dozen. McClaine is returning to the PCPH stage this year, but has been seen in such past successes as The Prisoner of Second Avenue, The Cemetery Club, and Guys & Dolls.


Jim Green

Lita Sandy





T.J. Tincher














Linda Gjesvold is assistant director and set designer for the production. Michael McClaine and Brenda McClaine are working on the technical side.

Director Sutton is a longtime PCPH participant. Most recently he directed The Glass Menagerie and appeared in All My Sons. Gjesvold has done set design for many productions at PCPH, including The Curious Savage and Thoroughly Modern Millie this year.

Beat the Drums! Here Comes “Thoroughly Modern Millie” Now!

Back row: Ashlee Vitz, David Wells, Annie Weltz, Joe Fields, Alixandra Green,
Kenneth Lee Buchanan, Meghan Armitage, Dustin Bond, Jalin Burnette.
Front row: Sarah Bond, Joe Lippard, Katie Hedge, T.J. Tincher, Lori Briones.
Click to enlarge the photo.

Thoroughly Modern Millie is now in performance at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre – August 9-11 and August 15-18.

The Tony-Award winning musical is based on the 1967 movie that starred Julie Andrews.

See what made the 20’s roar!

Call the box office Monday-Saturday for reservations.  Box office hours are 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.  All tickets are $10, and all performances are at 8 p.m.

Corporate sponsor for Thoroughly Modern Millie is First National Bank.

“Thoroughly Modern Millie” Opens!!

Jimmy (Dustin Bond) and Millie
(Meghan Armitage) take their romance
to new heights in “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”

Thoroughly Modern Millie, the Tony-Award-Winning musical will be presented by Putnam County Playhouse August 9-11 and August 15-18. All performances will be at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre and will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be reserved by calling the box office at 765-653-5880. Box office hours are Monday-Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m.

Corporate sponsor for the show is First National Bank.
Click HERE to read more about our sponsor.

Director Shelly McFadden is joined on the production side by choreographers Lita Sandy and Lori Briones; musical director, Lori Miller; and scenic designer, Linda Gjesvold.
Based on the 1967 Julie Andrews film, Thoroughly Modern Millie has new music by Jeanine Tesori, new lyrics by Dick Scanlon, and a book by Scanlon and Richard Morris.
Meghan Armitage leads the cast in the role of Millie Dillmount, a young girl who comes to New York City to find a job and husband, though not necessarily in that order. She lands a job first – at the Sincere Trust Company run by Trevor Graydon (Kenneth Lee Buchanan) and immediately sets her cap for the boss, until she gets distracted by Jimmy Smith (Dustin Bond). Graydon himself is attracted to Millie’s mysterious friend, Miss Dorothy (Mira Hoffman).
Add a crafty landlady (Katie Wallace) and her two minions (Cameron Callan & Alex Asbell), and Muzzy, a millionairess (Ashlee Vitz), and the complications, dances, and songs are fast and furious.
Songs in the stage version include “Forget About the Boy”, “Gimme Gimme”, and “Only In New York”, and the title tune.
In supporting roles are Annie Weltz, Alix Green, Sarah Bond, Elise Merrill, Katie Hedge, Jalin Burnette, Sydney Cassida, Eleanor Howard, Miller and Briones.
Also appearing are David Wells, Joe Lippard, Ric McFadden, Jack Randall Earles, Joe Fields, and T.J. Tincher.
The orchestra under the direction of pianist Marilyn Burdsall includes Michael McClaine, drums and percussion; Drew Brattain, bass; and Marcia Boswell, flute/piccolo.
Costuming is by Diana VanMiddlesworth and Patricia Armitage. Jessica Masner is production stage manager. Jim & Melissa Green are running the sound and lights.

Children’s Theatre Workshop Continues!

Assistant T.J. Tincher works on stage movement
with some of the CTW participants.

Each morning this week, the Hazel Day Longden Theatre is home to the annual Children’s Theatre Workshop.  From 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Caroline Good and  her assistants work with youngsters ages 8-11.

The participants learn basic theatre vocabulary, basic acting technique, movement, and voice for stage among other activities.

The workshop will culminate in a work-in-progress presentation on Saturday, July 28, at 11 a.m.  The public is invited, and the presentation is free.

Included in the presentation will be excerpts from two plays – “Snow What?” by Susannah Howard and “Robin Hood” by Charlie Good – and dramatizations of two Dr. Seuss and poems by Shel Silverstein.

The workshop is sponsored by Duke Energy Foundation.

“The Curious Savage” Opens on July 12!!!

L-R – Alixandra Green, Bethany Bax, Sandra Rossok in rehearsal.

The Putnam County Playhouse production of The Curious Savage a comedy by John Patrick will be presented July 12-14 and July 18-21.  All performances are at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be reserved by telephoning the box office at 765-853-5880 after 5 p.m. beginning Monday,  July 9.

Directed by Jack Randall Earles, The Curious Savage tells the story of Ethel Savage (Bethany Bax) whose late husband has left her ten million dollars. She is in the process of spending it all to help those less fortunate than herself, when her three stepchildren (Kathryn Dory, Don Collins, Clarence Long) decide to have her committed to a sanitarium to prevent her from spending their inheritance.

While living at The Cloisters, Ethel becomes involved in the lives of the residents there. Florence (Tammy Hunter), Fairy May (Alixandra Green), Mrs. Paddy (Sandra Rossok), Hannibal (Don Wilson), and Jeffrey (Kenneth Lee Buchanan) who are all there for treatment. Helping them along are Dr. Emmett (Jim Rambo) and Miss Wilhelmina (Shalynn Branscum).

Mrs. Savage foils the plans of her stepchildren and makes positive changes in her own life and in the lives of those around her

Bethany Bax last appeared here as Ruth in Blithe Spirit. In addition to her many appearances on our stage, she has directed shows including Barefoot in the Park and To Kill a Mockingbird. Kathryn Dory played a leading role in Nunsense. She has also been musical director for productions including The Sound of Music.

Don Collins appeared last season in Don’t Drink the Water. He played Willie Clark in The Sunshine Boys and was also in All My Sons among others. Clarence Long has appeared in Kiss Me Kate, Cheaper By the Dozen, and Arsenic and Old Lace.

Tammy Hunter played Marion Hollander in Don’t Drink the Water and has also appeared in Never Too Late, Footloose, and Kiss Me Kate. Jim Rambo directed Don’t Drink the Water and has appeared in many productions including On Borrowed Time and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Alixandra Green has appeared in many musicals including Camelot and Singin’ In the Rain. Sandra Rossok has been many productions, most recently Don’t Drink the Water and Arsenic and Old Lace.
She is also the assistant director for this production.

Don Wilson most recently appeared in The Music Man and Don’t Drink the Water. He was also in Man of La Mancha and Blithe Spirit. Kenneth Lee Buchanan appeared last season as Lancelot in Camelot. He was also in The Music Man, Kiss Me Kate, and Never Too Late. Shalynn Branscum previously appeared at PCPH in Never Too Late.

T.J. Tincher is stage manager for the production. Jim and Melissa Green are working on the technical side of the show. Linda Gjesvold designed the set. Ben Fisher is assistant stage manager and Rossok handled the costuming for the show. Special thanks is given to Harris Weltz.



“The Curious Savage” is sponsored by Rossok & Co. Insurance and Pekin Insurance.

Click HERE to read more about our Sponsor!!

Children’s Theatre Workshop in July!!



The Children’s Theatre Workshop is back!  The workshop for children ages 8-11 will be held daily 
July 23rd-27th 10:00-11:30am, with a culminating “work in progress” performance on Saturday, July 28th at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre. 

Bringing to young people the love of theatre, providing them a venue to explore their creativity, and allowing them to collaborate and express themselves on stage is the mission of the Children’s Theatre Workshop.  In addition to learning basic theatre vocabulary, the kids will be given instruction in basic acting technique, movement and voice for the stage, character development, and how to work with an ensemble.   The kids will then apply these skills through theatre games and as they rehearse a short play.

To fill out an online application for the workshop, click on the Current Season tab above, and then click on the Youth Theatre tab.