IT’S A MYSTERY!!!!

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The Cast & Staff of “The Game’s Afoot.”
The Game’s Afoot ended its run on Sept. 19!


The 54thseason of Putnam County Playhouse will close with a production of Ken Ludwig’s mystery-comedy The Game’s Afoot. 

The production is being sponsored by Shuee’s Furniture & Mattress.

Click HERE to read more about our sponsor.
As the play begins, we see actor William Gillette (Jack Randall Earles) and his cast onstage in a performance of his play Sherlock Holmes. A mysterious event at their curtain call sets up the rest of The Game’s Afoot to take place in Gillette’s home during a holiday celebration. He takes his role as Holmes to heart and tries to solve a real-life murder himself.

L-R: Tim Good, Vickie Parker, Jack Randall Earles, Caroline Good

Earles most recently directed The Bad Seed and has appeared in many roles at PCPH.  Last season, he played Banjo in The Man Who Came to Dinner and directed Guys & Dolls. 


L-R: Vickie Parker & Jack Randall Earles

Among his fellow actors are a married team Madge (Caroline Good) and Felix (Tim Good) and a younger duo Simon (TJ Tincher) and Aggie (Anna Harris). Added to the mix are Gillette’s feisty mother Martha (Vickie Parker), a nosy gossip columnist Daria (Karen Temple), and the local police inspector Harriet Goring (Madison King) who takes it upon herself to join Gillette’s investigation.

L-R: TJ Tincher and Anna Harris

Parker is making her return to the PCPH stage after an absence of several seasons. She has directed many productions here including Annie, 42nd Street,  Showboat, and Kiss Me Kate (twice). She is a former president of the PCPH board of directors and retired from Greencastle High School where Parker Auditorium is named in her honor.


L-R: Tim Good & Karen Temple

Tim and Caroline Good are making their third appearance together on the PCPH stage.  They also appeared in Angel Street and Blithe Spirit. Caroline has appeared in many leading roles here including Marion in The Music Man and Aldonza in Man of La Mancha.


Temple won an Upstage Award for her work in I Remember Mama and has also appeared in leading roles in such shows as Annie, Pippin, and Steel Magnolias. King also appeared in Steel Magnolias last season in the role of Annelle.

L-R: Tim Good, Caroline Good, Madison King

Director for The Game’s Afoot is Dustin Bond.  He appeared earlier this season as Adam in 7 Brides for 7 Brothers. This is his first directing assignment at PCPH.

Assistant director is Jim Green. The set is by Linda Gjesvold. Bond also designed the lights and sound for the production.

Jessica Masner is production stage manager. Brandon & Cameron Wunderlich are on the stage crew. Running the light board is Melissa Green. Hillary Johnson is running the sound board. Costumes are by Shelly McFadden.

The 2016 Season is Afoot!!

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With one production left in our 2015 season, PCPH is happy to announce its upcoming 2016 season of shows!!! Don’t miss The Game’s Afoot opening September 10!

June will bring the  musical version of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel Little Women. With a book by Allan Knee, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, and music by Jason Howland, the show opened on Broadway on January 23, 2005.  That production was nominated for a Tony (Best Actress in a Musical, Sutton Foster) and three Drama Desk Awards.  



Based on Louisa May Alcott’s classic 1869 semi-autobiographical novel, it focuses on the four March sisters — brassy, tomboy-like, aspiring writer Jo, romantic Meg, pretentious Amy, and kind-hearted Beth — and their beloved Marmee, at home in Concord, Massachusetts while the family patriarch is away serving as a Union Army chaplain during the Civil War. Intercut with the vignettes in which their lives unfold are several recreations of the melodramatic short stories Jo writes in her attic studio.

In July we will present the Ernest Thompson play On Golden Pond. The story of Norman and Ethel Thayer and their summer time spent at their cabin on the title body of water. A visit from their grandson, and their daughter’s impending remarriage set the stage for understanding of their own relationship. Made into an Academy-Award-winning film, we are happy to bring it once more to our stage.

Political unrest and disagreement is not new.  In August, you can see how our founding fathers created the document that started us on our way to Independence. The musical 1776 will debut on our stage. The result is inevitable – but how did it happen? Watch and listen as our country’s forefathers set forth the principles we still live by. 

The musical opened on Broadway in 1969. It has a book by Peter Stone and music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards. That original production won three Tony Awards – including Best Musical. 

Full of lively songs and comedy, 1776 will give you a new appreciation for The Declaration of Independence, and those stubborn delightful people who made it happen.

The 2016 season will close with a production of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple – The Female Version.  All of the fun of Oscar and Felix are revived in Olive and Florence. Can these two survive together? Or will their opposite views of life and housecleaning force them to take more drastic measures?  

When you come to see our final production of this season, the mystery-comedy The Game’s Afoot, be sure to fill out an address form to be on the mailing list for our 2016 season brochure.

Thanks for your continued support!  See you at the barn!!!










Get to Know “The Game’s Afoot” Playwright: Ken Ludwig

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Closing our season will be the mystery-comedy The Game’s Afoot or: Holmes for the Holidays.

It will be produced September 10-12 and September 16-19. Tickets go on sale Monday, September 7, at 5 p.m.

The show is being sponsored by Shuee’s Furniture and Mattress.

Click HERE to learn more about our sponsor.
The play was written by popular award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig.

Ludwig is an internationally-acclaimed playwright whose work has been performed in more than 30 countries in over 20 languages. He has had 6 shows on Broadway and 6 in the West End. He has won two Laurence Olivier Awards, England’s highest theatre honor. He has also received three Tony Award nominations and won two Helen Hayes Awards, the Edgar Award, the SETC Distinguished Career Award, and the Edwin Forrest Award for Services to the Theatre. 

His plays have been commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Bristol Old Vic. His best known plays and musicals include Lend Me A Tenor, Crazy For You, Moon Over Buffalo, Leading Ladies, Twentieth Century, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Game’s Afoot, The Fox on the Fairway, Midsummer/Jersey, The Three Musketeers, Treasure Island and The Beaux’ Stratagem.

His plays have starred Alec Baldwin, Carol Burnett, Lynn Redgrave, Mickey Rooney, Hal Holbrook, Dixie Carter, Tony Shalhoub, Anne Heche, Joan Collins, and Kristin Bell.

Ken’s new book How To Teach Your Children Shakespeare was published in June 2013 by Random House, and his work has been published by the Yale Review. He has degrees from Harvard, where he studied music with Leonard Bernstein, Haverford College and Cambridge University.

For more information, please visit www.kenludwig.com.



LET’S GO INTO THE WOODS!

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The Baker (Ric McFadden), his Wife (Kayla Myer) and Cinderella (Meghan Armitage).

INTO THE WOODS ENDED ITS RUN ON AUGUST 15!!


The third production of the 54th season of Putnam County Playhouse is the musical Into the Woods.  The Tony-Award winning show has music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine.


Click HERE to learn more about our sponsor.
Stage director and musical director is Lee Reberger. Pit conductor and pianist is Marilyn Burdsall Rush. She will be joined in the pit by Lynne Tweedie-Wurster on keyboard, Drew Brattain on bass guitar, and Michael McClaine playing percussion.

This is Lee’s first directorial assignment at PCPH. For the last eight years, he has been president and principal director at Community Theatre of Clay County. 

Linda Gjesvold is scenic designer. Shelly McFadden served as costume designer. Light design is by Bryan Schroder, and sound design is by Craig Armitage. Choreography is by Sarah Bond. Production stage manager is Jessica Masner.

Linda is designing sets for all four productions this season. Shelly directed and costumed the first show of the season Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

The musical is a combination of several fairy tales and what happens after “happily ever after.”

The musical originally opened on Broadway in November, 1987, and ran for 765 performances. It was nominated for ten Tony Awards and won three: Best Score (Sondheim), Best Book (Lapine), and Best Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason in the role of the Baker’s Wife). 

The original cast was reunited to tape the show for PBS in 1989. 

An Into the Woods revival opened on Broadway in April, 2002, and ran for 279 performances. The cast was included Vanessa Williams as The Witch. It won Tony Awards as Best Revival of a Musical and Best Lighting Design.

A London production opened in 1990, and revival was presented there in 1998. The actress playing the Baker’s Wife in both productions (Imelda Staunton, then Sophie Thompson) won the Oliver Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

The latest professional productions include an Off-Broadway version opening in January, 2015, and a production at the St. Louis MUNY that closed on July 28, 2015.

The Wife (Kayla Myer) and The Baker (Ric McFadden)

The PCPH cast is headed by Ric McFadden in the role of The Baker, and Kayla Myer playing his Wife. The Witch is played by Shelly McFadden. Other leading roles include Jack played by Cameron Callan, Jack’s Mother played by Kathi Elliott, Cinderella played by Meghan Armitage, and Andrew Ranck as the Narrator.

Jack’s Mother (Kathi Elliott) and Jack (Cameron Callan)

Other roles are Little Red Riding Hood, Samantha Flannelly; Cinderella’s stepmother, Mira Hoffman; Cinderella’s stepsisters, Hannah Brattain and Sarah Arnold; and her real parents, Jim Rambo and Robin Schneider.
Brad Sandy is The Wolf, Dale Grove is the Mysterious Man, and Eleanor Howard is Granny and the voice of the Giant. Michaela Semak is Snow White, and Chloe Hayes is Sleeping Beauty. Abe Anglin plays the Prince’s steward.

Cinderella (Meghan Armitage) and Little Red (Samantha Flannelly).


Elijah Brattain is the prince in search of Cinderella, and Jake Glidden is the prince in search of Rapunzel, played by Sarah Bond.

Elise Merrell is running the sound board, and Alex Briones is running the light board. Spotlight operators are Brandon and Cameron Wunderlich. Working on the stage crew are Rachel Lubinski and Aaron Swartz.

Jack (Cameron Callan) and The Baker (Ric McFadden).

Our 2016 season lineup will be announced during the Curtain Speech at Into the Woods!


The 54th season concludes in September with a production Ken Ludwig’s mystery-comedy The Game’s Afoot: Or Holmes for the Holidays.

CHILDREN’S THEATRE WORKSHOP THIS WEEK!

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THE CHILDREN’S WORKSHOP HAS CONCLUDED!
The Children’s Theatre Workshop is happening this week at Putnam County Playhouse.  More than 30 participants are working on two original comedy plays about famous fairy tale characters.  Director of the program is Caroline Good.  Additional teachers for the workshop are Gigi Fenlon and T.J. Tincher. Assistant directors are Bethany Bax and Eleanor Howard, who are also working on costumes for the productions.




                   
                   Click HERE to learn more about our sponsor.     

Two stories containing familiar fairy tale characters will be presented. One is titled “The Second Act” by Susanna Howard, who is also co-directing the play with Tincher. It explores what happens to the characters after “happily ever after.” The cast for this part of the program includes Marleah Muncie, Bella Green, Rebecca Hebb, Dunkin York, Harris Weltz, Chloe Gardner, Isaac Hertenstein, Noah Barnes, and Allie Purdue.  

Also appearing are Mary Norris, Sydney Campbell, Bryce Hall, Ashley Stockall, Jenna Wehrman, Alice Howard, and Ashlyn Hall. The cast portrays such characters as the Mad Hatter, Snow White, and the Evil Queen.



The other production is “Into the Forest” directed by Good and Fenlon. It is a mash-up of what happens when fairy tale characters from many stories meet each other in the woods.  This cast includes Savannah McCoy, Hadley McCoy, Maddie McCoy, Jocelyn Gardner, Paxton O’Brien, Avery Capps, and Evie Green. 

Additional characters are played by Kyle Brentlinger, Karma Evens, Olivia Stierwalt, Maggie O’Dell Cooper, Clare Langdoe, Quinn Asbell, Orion Browser, Maisy Isaacs-Bailey, Kaitlin Welker, Sydney Shrewsbury, Ashlyn Hall, and Ian Berger. Characters in this portion of the evening include Belle, The Beast, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Prince Charming.



Both plays take place on the set of the upcoming PCPH production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods which opens August 6.

Interns working with the group are Abe Anglin, Chloe McGinity, Dylan Bodnarick, Libby Brush, Samantha Flannelly, and Bowie Foote.  Lauren Good is running the light board, and Cecily Girton is working the sound board.



The mission of the Children’s Theatre Workshop is to bring 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.     


CAST ANNOUNCEMENT FOR “THE GAME’S AFOOT”

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Director Dustin Bond has chosen his cast for the PCPH September production of the mystery-comedy The Game’s Afoot.

William Gillette, the actor whose stage performances as Sherlock Holmes made him famous, will be played by Jack Randall Earles. His mother Martha will be played by Vickie Parker.

A bickering married couple of performers, Madge and Felix, will be played by Tim Good and Caroline Good.

A younger couple, Aggie and Simon, will be played by T.J. Tincher and Anna Harris.

The cast is completed by Karen Temple as Daria Chase, a columnist with many enemies; and Madison King as a local police inspector caught up in the case….a case of murder….or is it?

The Game’s Afoot will be produced September 10-12 and September 16-19,

It is being sponsored by:

Click HERE to read more about our sponsor.
The season continues in August with Into the Woods.

New and Improved Parking!!!

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Gravel was recently added behind the small barn to make the parking area drier and safer for our casts and crews. We also plan to add more gravel to the audience parking area!

The new area was ready for closing night of The Bad Seed, and will first be used extensively by the cast and crew of the August musical Into The Woods!

“BAD SEED”

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Dustin Boothby and Sonora Erwin

THE BAD SEED ENDED ITS RUN 
ON JULY 18

The 54thseason of Putnam County Playhouse continues with a production of the thriller The Bad Seed. It will be presented July 9-11 and July 15-18. All performances begin at 8 p.m. 

The Tony-Award-winning play by Maxwell Anderson was first presented on Broadway in 1954 and was filmed in 1956. It is a Putnam County Playhouse premiere. The film version received Academy Award nominations for Best Actress, Nancy Kelly (Christine Penmark) and Best Supporting Actress nominations for both Eileen Heckart (Mrs. Daigle) and Patty McCormack (Rhoda).

The production is being sponsored by:
Click HERE to learn more about our sponsor.


The Bad Seed is directed by Jack Randall Earles. Assistant director is Sandi Rossok. Lighting is by Dustin Bond and set design is by Linda Gjesvold. The technical crew includes Cecily Girton running the sound board and Cameron Wunderlich operating the light board.

Jack Randall directed and choreographed Guys & Dolls last season, with Sandi as his assistant. He also appeared in The Man Who Came to Dinner as Banjo, which won him his fourth Upstage Award. Jack Randall is a vice-president of the PCPH board and has appeared in such shows as The Drowsy Chaperone and Never Too Late. Sandi is also a board member and has appeared in many shows including Man of La Mancha and The Curious Savage.

Linda designs many of the sets at PCPH. She most recently worked on Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Linda is also designing the set for the August production of Into the Woods. Dustin played Adam in last month’s Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and will direct our final play this season, the mystery-comedy The Game’s Afoot. Both are members of the PCPH board of directors.

Sonora Erwin and Bethany Bax

The play was based on a best-selling novel by William March. 


The mother of a nine-year-old girl is disturbed by her daughter’s actions. When one of the daughter’s classmates is drowned, the mother begins to wonder if things are as perfect as they seem. What influences a child’s behavior most – environment or heredity? The answer as presented in The Bad Seed may not be current science, but it is still thought provoking.

Bethany Bax stars as Christine Penmark, a mother who makes a shocking discovery about her own life and how it affects her daughter Rhoda, played by Sonora Erwin. Christine begins to realize just who is responsible for a child’s death as secrets about her own past are revealed to her.

Bethany is a member of the PCPH board of directors. She has been in several plays here including You Can’t Take It With You, The Glass Menagerie and I Remember Mama.  Bethany also directed Barefoot in the Park and The Nerd for PCPH.

Sonora appeared earlier this season in the ensemble of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

Ashlee Anne Vitz and Clarence Long
The helpful – at times – neighbors Monica and her brother Emory are played by Ashley Anne Vitz and Clarence Long.  Mr. and Mrs. Daigle, a pair of grieving parents are Allison Creekmore and Bob Jefferson.

Ashley most recently appeared at PCPH as one of the trio of singers in Little Shop of Horrors. She has also appeared in Camelot and Guys & Dolls. Clarence most recently appeared as Big Julie in Guys & Dolls. He won an Upstage Award for his work in Arsenic and Old Lace.

Bob Jefferson appeared last season in The Man Who Came to Dinner. Allison Creekmore is making her PCPH debut in The Bad Seed.


Larry Sutton, Alan Zerkel, Bethany Bax

The cast also includes Larry Sutton as writer Reggie Tasker and Alan Zerkel as Richard Bravo, Christine’s father. Kathryn Dory plays the owner of the local private school, and Dustin Boothby is Leroy the handyman. TJ Tincher is Kenneth Penmark, Christine’s husband and is also production stage manager. Brandon Wunderlich is the messenger and assistant stage manager.

Larry is a long time PCPH board member and has acted in and directed many shows. He played leading roles in The Fantasticks and All My Sons. Kathryn is the secretary of the PCPH board. She is returning to the stage after her role as Lily Belle in The Curious Savage.  Alan was seen at PCPH in Harvey. Dustin is making his PCPH debut in The Bad Seed.

Kathryn Dory and Bethany Bax

TJ most recently appeared as one of the Pontipee brothers in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Brandon and Cameron worked on the same show as part of the crew. Cecily ran the sound board last season for Steel Magnolias.



The season continues in August with a production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Into the Woods.

SHAKESPEARED! DRAWS RECORD AUDIENCE!

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The Bard

The 2015 SHAKESPEARED! Youth Theatre Festival ended Saturday night with a capacity crowd!




The workshop was sponsored by:

                      

                        Click HERE to learn more about our sponsor.

The evening  included two versions of the comedy, one by middle school students directed by TJ Tincher. and Bethany Bax.  The second version with students high school age and just beyond is directed by YTW creator Caroline Good, assisted by Billy Burke. Eleanor Howard is also assisting with the production.
Both versions are adaptations of the original material that contain modern references, unusual costumes, and familiar music.

SHAKESPEARED! creator Caroline Good in rehearsal.

Participants in leading roles in the middle school group include Craig Robinson (Falstaff), Anna Norris (Alice Ford), Isabella Brown (Margaret Page), Grant Pettit (Pistol), Hope Roberts (Nym), Zoe Weltz (Bardolph), and Michael Thede (Narrator #1, Host).

Others in the large cast include William Roberts (Franics Ford), Brenigan Warren (George Page), Fiona Good (Dr. Caius), Leo Brown (Hugh Evans), Dale Dye Thomas (Mistress Quickly), and Gabby Roberts (Robin).

Middle school group rehearsal.
Also onstage in the middle school production will be Connor Shepherd, Callie Wehrman, Laney Collier, Ella Dye Thomas, Jadin Hill, all of whom play servants.  Ava Magnity and Katie White are also Narrators.

Props director for the show is Noah Pettit, and Zethor Peterson and Grant Pettit are on the stage crew.

Those with leading roles in the older group include Samantha Flannelly (Alice Ford), Chloe Maginity (Margaret Page), Donovan Asbell (Francis Ford), Dylan Bodnarick (George Page), Gwen Mazur (Anne Page), Bowie Foote (Master Fenton), David Maginity (John Falstaff), and Chloe Bodnarick (Pistol).

Older group rehearsing.
Supporting roles will be played by Noah Pettit (Nym), Tyler Hopper (Robin), Jerica Bean (Host), Abe Anglin (Dr. Caius), Libby Brush (Mistress Quickly), Zoe Hagymasi (John Rugby), Michael Germain (Robert Shallow), Addison Hughes (Hugh Evans), Susanna Howard (Abraham Slender), and Haley Wilson Patty Simple).

The ensemble includes Charlie Good, Joan Warren.

Congratulations to the participants AND the audience!

THEN AND NOW

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Putnam County Playhouse began in the spring of 1961. At that time a small group of determined people decided to bring live theatre to the community – and Greencastle Summer Theater was born. The next year, we were incorporated and officially became Putnam County Playhouse.

The purpose of PCPH then and now was set down by our founders:

We operate “to provide the people of the county and the surrounding area the opportunity to enjoy and participate in live theatre.”

A gazebo on our property honors those original members including the first president of our board of directors, Dr. James Elrod.

The Founders’ Gazebo

For the first two decades, PCPH presented shows in various venues around Greencastle. These included DePauw’s Speech Hall, McAnally Center, and DePauw’s Moore Theatre.  


In 1980, the hard work of a group of determined people headed by Jim Poor were instrumental in getting us the donation of the property where our theatre now stands. The generosity of Hazel Day Longden in giving us the property was key to our continued growth.

For our first two seasons on the property, our productions were given on the outdoor stage. The audience sat on bleachers. 

“The Sound of Music” – 1982

The small barn was used for many years for dressing rooms. It is now mainly used for storage, and the original stage area is now a parking area.


Small Barn.  June, 2015.

The theatre named in honor of Hazel Day Longden was given a grand opening in June, 1983. 

Hazel Day Longden Theatre. June, 2015.

Thanks to our audiences and participants for their continued support.


Since the beginning the PCPH Board of Directors has been all volunteer. Its members serve without compensation of any kind. To all of our past members and officers, we also give a hearty thank you!

2014-2015 Board of Directors

Michael McClaine, President
Jack Randall Earles, 1st Vice-President
Linda Gjesvold, 2nd Vice-President
Kathryn Dory, Secretary
Mark Hammer, Treasurer

Meghan Armitage
Bethany Bax
Dustin Bond
Drew Brattain
Caroline Good
Ric McFadden
Shelly McFadden
Jim Rambo
Sandra Rossok
Brad Sandy
TJ Tincher