The 61^st season of Putnam County Playhouse will begin with an Open House on Sunday, May 29, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre in Greencastle. The public is invited.

The event will include rehearsals of numbers from the season opener the musical Oliver!  Light refreshments will be served.

Board members will be on hand to answer questions.  Season tickets and individual tickets for all shows will be on sale at that time. We hope to see you there!

The season includes – in addition to Oliver!  – Clue: Onstage in July, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in August, and The Miracle Worker in September.

The Man In The Chair, Jack Randall Earles, sat down recently to talk to Caroline Good about Oliver! the musical that opens our 61st season. The show will be onstage June 2-4 & June 8-11.

Tickets go on sale at the Open House on Sunday, May 29, at 1 p.m. [The video mentions the time as 3 p.m. – but it will be at 1 p.m.! Mea Culpa!]

Enjoy the video! Click HERE to watch!

The show is sponsored by:

If you happen to be driving down Round Barn Road, don’t be surprised if you hear music and the sounds of dancing. The 61st season June & July shows are in rehearsals right now. First up in June is the Lionel Bart Tony-Award winning musical Oliver! It will be produced June 2-4 & June 8-11. Tickets for the show will go on sale on Sunday, May 29, at 1 p.m. during the annual PCPH Open House. Season tickets will be mailed out the third week in May.

Oliver! is directed by Caroline Good. Vocal Direction is by Kathryn Dory. Amy Tharp is the Pit Conductor/Pianist and choreography is by Sarah Armitage & Josh Bain. [Click HERE to read who’s in the cast!]

The show is sponsored by:

While Oliver! is toiling away on the main stage, Clue: Onstage is being blocked by directors Shelly McFadden & Vickie Parker in the Michael McClaine Rehearsal Center. [You can read about who’s who in the cast HERE].

With scripts in hand, the cast is working on developing characters and memorizing lines and blocking. Most shows rehearse four evenings each week to be ready for opening night. Clue: Onstage will be presented July 7-9 & July 13=16 on the main stage. Tickets for all shows will be on sale at the Open House at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 29.

The show is sponsored by:

The August musical Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and our September show The Miracle Worker have auditions coming up. If you’re interested in auditioning for either show, watch the website for information or ask any Board Member at the Open House!

Our technical committee – headed by Dustin Bond – is working on new lighting for our theatre. A matching grant from the Putnam County Foundation with the assistance of a semi-matching grant from Parke County REMC have helped us with the cost of the conversion to LED lighting instruments.

The LED lighting instruments use less electricity and burn with less heat than conventional instruments.

Plan to join us on Sunday, May 29, at 1 p.m. for the Open House celebrating our 61st season. Oliver! will be rehearsing, light refreshments will be served, and you can purchase your tickets to any show of our season! We hope to see you there!

“Many hands make light the work,” as Putnam County Playhouse veteran actress Adeline Knoy used to say. Director Caroline Good who is putting together our season opener, the musical Oliver! knows it’s true. Since the auditions in early April, everyone has been hard at work to make the magic happen! And everything has to be ready by opening night. [The show runs June 2-4 & June 8-11].

Vocal director Kathryn Dory and pianist Amy Tharp have been working with the cast on their songs. Director Good has been working on blocking and Sarah Armitage & Josh Bain are teaching the choreography. Dialect coach Eleanor Howard is helping everyone with the proper “speech” patterns. Stage manager Noah Pettit and assistant stage manager Cameron Wunderlich have been working to make sure every thing is in place! [To see a cast list click HERE].

On a recent Saturday, the Hazel Day Longden Theatre shop and the Michael McClaine Rehearsal Center were buzzing with activity.

Construction in the shop sped apace with final work being done on set pieces and properties.

Of course every job needs a straw boss, and TJ Tincher was glad to volunteer.

The show is sponsored by:

Individual tickets for Oliver! go on sale at the annual PCPH Open House at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 29! See you there!

Director Shelly McFadden has scheduled two sessions of auditions for the Putnam County Playhouse production of the mystery comedy Clue: Onstage.  The first will be Sunday, May 1 at 3 p.m.  The second session will be Monday, May 2 at 7 p.m.  The auditions will be in the Michael McClaine Rehearsal Center at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre.

McFadden and her assistant director Vickie Parker will hear readings from the script.  Sides will be provided.  A list of characters and their stage age can be found here. The cast calls for five women and six men. You can also download an audition sheet here.

McFadden and Parker are also looking for technical and backstage personnel. If you are interested in working in those roles, you are invited to stop by auditions and talk to them about opportunities.  Production Stage Manager is Cameron Wunderlich.

This will be the second production of the 61^st season of PCPH.  It will be produced July 7-9 and July 13-16.  It is being sponsored by:

The comedy is based on the 1985 movie Clue with the characters and situations from the movie recreated for the stage.  Help us bring the movie to life on our stage.  This whodunit can become a YOUdunnit!

After an Open House at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 29, our season opens on June 2 with the musical OLIVER!

Director Caroline Good is holding two sessions of auditions to cast the musical OLIVER! – the opening show of the 61^st season of Putnam County Playhouse.  The first session will be Sunday, April 10 at 3 p.m.  The second session will be Monday, April 11 at 7 p.m.  Both sessions will be in the Michael McClaine Rehearsal Center at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre in Greencastle. With book, music & lyrics by Lionel Bart the musical was a hit in the West End in London and on Broadway. It was also turned into an Academy-Award-winning film.

The title is character Oliver Twist, a workhouse boy whose adventures drive the narrative of the musical. It is based on the Charles Dickens novel of the same name.  Caroline is looking for a boy or girl with a stage age of 10 years old who can sing in the soprano voice, particularly in the solo song “Where Is Love?”.

A group of younger performers (ages 8-16) will play the boys in the workhouse, Fagin’s gang including The Artful Dodger, and perform in the ensemble. There are roles for about 16 performers male & female in this category.

Caroline is also looking for performers for adult roles including Fagin, the man who teaches his gang of boys to be thieves; Nancy, a young girl trying to live a better life; Bill Sikes, a villainous man who threatens both Oliver & Nancy; Mr. & Mrs. Sowerberry, the undertakers; Mr. Bumble, the workhouse beadle; Widow Corney, the workhouse mistress; and Mr. Brownlow, a gentleman of wealth & breeding.  Vocal requirements for these characters can be found here. There are several other characters to be cast and there is large singing & dancing ensemble that appears in most of the show!

All of those wishing to audition should prepare 16 bars of a song from a Broadway musical.  An accompanist will be provided.  There will also be readings from the script and a short dance/movement audition by choreographers Sarah Armitage & Josh Bain.

Vocal director for the show is Kathryn Dory and pit director/conductor is Amy Tharp. The musical will be presented June 2-4 & June 8-11.

Ages 8-16 download an audition form HERE.

Adults 17+ download an audition form HERE.

Oliver! Is sponsored by:

We hope you are ready to join us for our 61st season here at Putnam County Playhouse. Whether you plan to be in the audience, onstage, or backstage, there is a place for everyone!

Our Season Ticket Brochure was mailed out last week, so watch your mailbox! Individual tickets for our season will go on sale on Sunday, May 29, at our Annual Open House!

Opening our season is the Tony-winning musical Oliver! It will be produced June 2-4 and June 8-11. Auditions for director Caroline Good are coming right up on Sunday, April 10 at 3 p.m. and Monday, April 11 at 7 p.m. Vocal director is Kathryn Dory and musical director is Amy Tharp. Choreography is by Josh Bain & Sarah Armitage. Read Caroline’s Director’s Note here. You can read details about the show here and read the character descriptions here. Oliver! offers great opportunities for performers of all ages. Lionel Bart based his musical on the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist. Join Caroline, who directed our production of Annie and has also trod the boards at PCPH, DePauw University (where she teaches and is the Costume Director) and Wabash University among other theatres!

The show is sponsored by:

Caroline is also the creator of our Youth Theatre Workshop SHAKESPEARED! which will be conducted June 13-24 with a performances on June 24 & June 25. Our Children’s Theatre Workshop will be July 18-21 with a performance on July 22. Both performances are also sponsored by Shuee’s Great Buys Plus!

Our second show will be Clue: Onstage! It will be directed by Shelly McFadden and assistant directed by Vickie Parker. The mystery-comedy will be onstage July 7-9 and July 13-16. Auditions will be Sunday May 1 at 3 p.m. and Monday, May 2 at 7 p.m. Click here to read Shelly’s comments about the show. To read details about the show click here. To read a character list and descriptions click here. Writers Jonathan Lynn, Hunter Foster, Sandy Rustin, and Eric Price have rewritten the popular movie into a stage version with all the laughs intact! Shelly has directed many productions at PCPH including The Drowsy Chaperone and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. She has also appeared onstage in shows like Picnic, The Music Man, and Annie. The show is sponsored by:

The third production of the 61st season will be the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with music by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. It will be produced. August 11-13 and August 17-20. Auditions will be Sunday, June 12 at 3 p.m. and Monday, June 13 at 7 p.m. Joseph will be directed & choreographed by Jack Randall Earles with vocal direction by Kathryn Dory and musical direction by Morgan Asher. To read Jack Randall’s thoughts about the show click here. To read details about the show click here. To read information about the cast click here. Jack Randall has been working at the Putnam County Playhouse for many years [too many to mention JRE]. He has appeared in many shows onstage most recently in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and You Can’t Take It With You. He has also directed many shows here including Picnic, Guys & Dolls, and The Bad Seed. The show is sponsored by:

Our 61st season will close with a production of William Gibson’s inspiring play The Miracle Worker. It will be produced September 8-10 and September 14-17. Auditions for director Ric McFadden will be Sunday, July 17 at 3 p.m. and Monday, July 18 at 7 p.m. Click here to read Ric’s thoughts on the show. The play tells the real life story of Helen Keller who was blind and deaf from infancy and her teacher Anne Sullivan. It was a Tony Award winning play on Broadway and was made into an Academy Award winning film and later an Emmy winning television movie [it was first a live television play in the 1950’s]. Read details about the play here. To read the cast list and description click here.

[If you are a local business and are interested in sponsoring this production, please contact us on our Facebook page for details.]

All auditions will be at the Michael McClaine Rehearsal Center at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre in Greencastle.

Sign up here beginning February 1, 2002!!!

This year’s annual two-week-long “Shakespeared!” Workshop at the Putnam County Playhouse centers around Macbeth, with the middle school group performing a more traditional version and the high school group presenting their off-beat comedic version, complete with a lively soundtrack, chase, and pop-culture references.  Both versions embody Shakespeare’s original text, but in short condensed adaptations.

Both groups meet in the afternoons daily during the two weeks, playing theatre games, learning voice,  stage movement, and acting techniques, and, of course, rehearsing the play.  The middle school (entering grades 6th-8th) group meets Monday-Friday 12:30-2:30pm, and the high school (entering 9th+) workshop meets Monday-Friday 3:00-5:30pm with performances Friday and Saturday, June 24 and 25 at 7:00pm, when each group presents their own very different versions of the play: the middle school group performing on Friday and the high school group performing on Saturday.

We plan to adhere to guidance provided by the CDC for Covid-19 at the time of the workshop. Last year, we were able to relax a little, but participants still had the option to wear masks during sessions, we created physical distanced staging, and we kept air flowing throughout the playhouse, or worked outside.  The kids did have the option to perform without masks, as well.  We’re hoping for the best, but are prepared to implement whatever protocols seem appropriate at the time.

The scripts will be available soon on the playhouse at the Youth Theatre Workshop page using the drop down menu. So, feel free to read it before our first day. We will read through the play on day one, and the players will have a chance to note their role preferences. The roles will be cast that evening, and rehearsals will begin on day two!

THERE ARE PARTS FOR EVERYONE! “Shakespeared!” is tailored to provide young players with an opportunity to engage with Shakespeare’s text in a fun way and to see the potential interpretations that lie within the text.

The registration link for the 2022 workshop will be available on February 1st! PLEASE DON’T USE THE 2021 FORM!!!

Our fund drive letters for our 2022 season have gone out! Broadway recently opened up again, and we hope we can return to our regular seating arrangement and celebrate our 61st season with you – our wonderful audiences!

We have planned a season of fun and entertainment for you that includes the return of a favorite show that we were unable to bring you last summer, the stage version of a hilarious film favorite, a classic musical, and a heartwarming family story. Season ticket information will be mailed to you in April/May. Please plan to join us for:

This glorious musical version of the Charles Dickens novel will open our season with performances June 2-4 and June 8-11. Director Caroline Good will have auditions on Sunday, April 10 at 3 p.m. and Monday, April 11 at 7 p.m. Oliver! is always a favorite and includes such lively songs as “I’d Do Anything”, “Ooom-Pah-Pah” and the touching “Where Is Love” and “As Long As He Needs Me.”

[Our previously planned production of Fiddler on the Roof was replaced because of licensing restrictions placed on community theatres when a professional road company is planned for the territory.]

Our next attraction will be Clue Onstage. This is the stage version of the hilarious film. It will be onstage July 7-9 and July 13-16. Come and see if you can figure out who killed Mr. Boddy…..and where…..and with what instrument! Directors Shelly McFadden & Vickie Parker will have auditions Sunday, May 1 at 3 p.m. and Monday, May 2 at 7 p.m.

….try try again….. Our third attraction will be Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This re-telling of the Biblical account of Joseph and his brothers will be presented August 11-13 and August 17-20. Director Jack Randall Earles will have auditions Sunday, June 13 at 3 p.m. and Monday, June 14 at 7 p.m.

The 61st season will close with a production of The Miracle Worker. This story of teacher Annie Sullivan and her student Helen Keller will warm your heart. It will be onstage September 8-10 and September 14-17. Director Ric McFadden will have auditions Sunday, July 17, at 3 p.m. and Monday, July 18 at 7 p.m.

SHAKESPEARED! The Youth Theatre Workshop will present Macbeth. The workshop will be conducted June 13-24 with performances on June 24 & 25. The Children’s Theatre Workshop will be conducted July 18-22 with a performance on July 22.

If you did not receive your Fund Drive Letter – or you are not on our mailing list, you can download a contribution form HERE.