Tag Archives: play

Circle Theatre spells success with its opening production

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By Colleen Pierson
WKTV Contributor

Circle Theatre presents the “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” through May 20. (Courtesy, Circle Theatre)

How do you spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S?  One only has to be in the audience for Circle’s musical comedy to find out. The season opener is successful with tremendous audience appeal, superior talent, innovative staging and musical delights.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee follows six nerdy and eclectic tweens who are definitely quirky, interesting and share their life stories with effortless humor and emotion.  It’s a small cast with big voices.

  

“What is the language of origins?”  “Can you use that in a sentence?”  “What’s the definition please?” These phrases take us back to some of the spelling bees of our school days. But what is the most memorable are the life stories of every cast member. The stories emotionally connect us throughout.

Kudos to co-directors Chris and Jenna Grooms for directing what seem to be young characters, but has a cast of all ages portraying that specific age group. They all try to spell their way through words like “capybara,” qaymaqam” “Cystitis” and other words I have never heard of.

Who will win the spelling championship of a lifetime? Audience members are on the edge of their seats just waiting to find out. There is no intermission which just adds to the suspense of the plot.

The show was a winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book. Well-deserved as the jokes, storylines, and content are relatable, emotional, funny and as clever as the characters themselves.

 

Zachary Avery, in the role of Leaf, doesn’t know how to spell, but when he goes into a trance, the results are correct and humorous. (Courtesy, Circle Theatre)

Another interesting aspect of the show is four audience members are called upon to compete in the bee. This provides an audience immersion delight and tests the casts’ improvisational techniques.

 

Each cast member has their own unique way of competing to win the spelling bee. Braden Bacon, portraying the role of Barfee, spells the word out on the ground with his foot. He gets the visual and then speaks it. Zachary Avery, in the role of Leaf, doesn’t know how to spell, but when he goes into a trance, the results are correct and humorous.

Usually there are stand out performers in musicals. This cast are all stand outs. Impeccable comedic timing, excellent voice and diction skills, in depth characterizations and gifted singers make this show one of the best I have seen in a long time.

Choreographer Mary Lohman and Music Director Scott Patrick Bell should also be commended on their creative efforts and in-depth talents.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee runs at Circle Theatre through May 20. Tickets and information available at circletheatre.org.  The show runs May 4-6, 10-14 and 17-20, with May 14 being a matinee showing. Tickets are available for $26 – $30 at circletheatre.org. This season, Circle Theatre will present “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “Blithe Spirit,” “Pippin,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”  Definitely a winning season and one that we have just come to expect from Circle Theater.

Play competition is about the ‘things that go bump in the night’

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By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

They are eerie, they are spooky and just might keep you up at night.

It is “Playbytes by Playwrights: Things That Go Bump in the Night.” Hosted biennial by LowellArts!, the event features 10-minute plays written by playwrights. All plays that were submitted for this year’s competition follow the theme of “things that go bump in the night.” From more than 60 entries that were submitted by playwrights from across the country and internationally, ten were chosen to be performed. The program was directed by Mary Beth Quillin and Laurel Conrad.

The ten original works performed for an audience will be judged by a panel of experts, and one playwright will be given a $500 cash award. A People’s Choice Award will be voted on by attendees. Awards winners will be notified and announced the week following the final production.

Performances are 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at LowellArts Gallery, 223 Main St., Lowell. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. For more information, visit www.lowellartsmi.org.

Love is in the air as Grand Rapids Civic Theatre presents ‘Shakespeare in Love’

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By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

After having to delay its opening of its winter production, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre will present “Shakespeare in Love” starting this Friday through Feb. 13.

 

Based on the Academy Award-wining movie that starred Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow, the play reimagines William Shakespeare’s creative process. The young Shakespeare has writer’s block. The deadline and the creditors for his new play are closing in, and he’s in desperate need of inspiration. Enter his muse, Viola, a young woman who will stop at nothing to appear in his next play. Despite Shakespeare’s ruthless adversaries and a dysfunctional theatrical company, he and Viola’s love blossoms and inspires his great masterpiece.

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. There is no performance on Feb. 11. Single tickets are $18-$40. For more information, visit grct.org.

Also, new this year, the semi-finalists for the Ten For All playwriting festival will have their plays read live on stage. Youth categories is Jan. 31 and adult categories is Feb. 1. Tickets for the readings are free. The finalists will have their plays performed at the Ten For All Festival which is set for Mach 18 – 20. 

Michigan’s Keweenaw area becoming a work, play destination spot

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By Brad Barnett
Keweenaw Convention & Visitors Bureau

If you travel to the end of US 41, you’ll find yourself in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. Known for its Northwoods wildlands and stunning Lake Superior beaches, the Keweenaw is a wonderland for outdoor enthusiasts and leisure travelers.

But as employers embrace the benefits of working remotely, the Keweenaw is morphing into the Midwest’s ultimate outdoor office. Given flexibility to work from home (or anywhere with an internet connection), employees are packing their laptops for a workcation.

So what makes the Keweenaw an attractive destination for the new “Zoomer” workforce?

The Greatest of the Great Outdoors
The Keweenaw’s remote wilderness is home Isle Royale National Park and some of the country’s most beloved mountain-bike trails at Copper Harbor. Plus, there’s another 60 miles of single track in the area suitable for different levels. Abundant conservation and nature preserves feature flowing waterfalls and countless hiking opportunities.

But in the winter months, the Keweenaw truly shines. The area has hosted the National XC Skiing Championships several times over the past decade thanks to world-class Nordic skiing trail systems, and nearby Mount Bohemia claims the best powder east of the Rockies, with an annual average of 273 inches and 900 feet of vertical. And like summer, countless snowshoe and fat tire biking trails crisscross the peninsula.

Lake Superior Life
Nestled in the heart of Lake Superior, the Keweenaw’s abundant shorelines draw travelers seeking calm waters and quiet beaches. Come summer there’s boating, paddling, surfing, and kiting on Lake Superior and numerous inland lakes. Pack a lunch and some sunscreen and set up your mobile office a few feet from the water. You can always hit mute on your video conference if the sound of waves lapping against the shore gets too distracting.

Small Town Vibe, Big Tech Resources
The Keweenaw is made up of numerous small towns with most populations ranging from 200 to 2,500. But the metropolitan cornerstone of Houghton (pop. ~7,500) consistently ranks as one of America’s top small towns because of its access to outdoor recreation, charming downtown, nearly non-existent crime, and quality education systems. High-tech start-ups generated by Michigan Tech University grads have led to a surge of coworking and maker spaces like 101 Quincy perfect for workers needing temporary access to office space and advanced communication infrastructure.

How to Get Started
Visit www.keweenaw.info to start planning your Keweenaw work remote experience.

There’s no mystery to how well the Potter House students did in presenting C.S. Lewis classic

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“The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe” cast from Potter House. (Meochia Nochi Thompson)

By Meochia Nochi Thompson
WKTV Community Writer

The Potter’s House Elementary and Junior High School fourth- through eighth-grade students “did it again” with a successful production of “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” directed by Janae K. Dean, founder and director of Children’s Creations! The dramatization was a reenactment of the C.S. Lewis’ classic, part of the Chronicles of Narnia.

“This is a story of love, faith, courage and giving…it is a true celebration of life,” as stated in the story’s synopsis. 

The magical journey and mysterious tale of good versus evil takes place in Narnia where the great lion, Aslan (Jacob Caballero), protects all the innocent creatures of the land from the cruel White Witch (Shaelia Hoeksema), who threatens to overthrow the kingdom unless the prophecy is fulfilled. Four unsuspecting siblings, Lucy (Sofia Brinkerhoff); Susan (Abigail Ponstine); Edmund (Kayler Erazo) and Peter (Malachi Verwys),  happen to wander upon an old wardrobe and find themselves in the middle of a life changing adventure that leads to their true life’s purpose. 

Every detail from the costumes and makeup to the set design, lighting and sound were meticulously, phenomenal for such a young group. 

Portraying the White Witch was Shaelia Hoeksema (center) and the Lion was Jacob Caballero. (Meochia Nochi Thompson)

“I wanted to do some unique and creative things with the hair and makeup this year,” said Director Janae Dean. “I shared my vision with family and friends of the cast and received some fantastic help from many people who made the vision a reality.”

Although the school year had plenty of snow days, the absences did not stop the entire cast from displaying expert acting skills and teamwork. They managed to memorize hours of lines with superb English accents that never faltered. There were very few slip-ups to the trained ear the first public performance but nothing apparently noticeable to the excited elementary school students and parents amazed by the characters and further intrigued by a great rendition of a story very well done. 

School News Network: Drama is back, and Kelloggsville students are ready to act

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Junior Sam Resendez and senior Kayla Kern rehearse

 

By Erin Albanese

School News Network

 

Alexandrea Groters munched on an apple. Sam Resendez walked on his knees and prepared to stand up dramatically, and Israel Juarez-Perez flopped on the floor. Other cast members rehearsing the play “Honor Bright” practiced their own parts onstage, within a half-circle created by 13 traditional school desks.

 

Things were coming together. After five years without a program and, now, with a renovated auditorium, a stockpile of props pulled from storage and two enthusiastic new hires, Kelloggsville High School theater has been resurrected.

 

The district, which spent the last few years on construction and renovation at the high school, had closed the curtains on the theater program. But it’s showtime once again.

 

Sixteen students are learning the ropes of play production, from character development to improvisation, while rehearsing to put on the school’s first play under new directors. “Honor Bright” is scheduled to be performed May 18 and 19 at Kelloggsville High School.

 

Junior Sam Resendez and senior Kayla Kern rehearse

“My brother and sister had both gone through Kelloggsville and were in theater. I always loved going to the plays and musicals,” said Alexandrea the apple-crunching senior, who was one of the first students to sign up for theater. The program started in September with an after-school drama club. “It’s just fun; it gives me something else to do,” he added.

 

Students and directors are learning as they go. English teacher Shannon Dahlquist and social studies teacher Jeff Malinowski, both new hires this year, were asked to restart the program, though neither has a background in drama or performing arts, aside from Malinowski’s roles in theater as a high school student.

 

“What’s been challenging is we don’t have much experience so we are learning on our feet, but we’ve had a lot of student interest,” Dahlquist said. “What’s been really exciting is to see how excited the students are. They don’t have any experience, but they are willing to try and jump in with both feet.”

 

The fledgling troupe is starting small. “Honor Bright,” by Alan Haehnel, is about students contemplating cheating in school. The cast is performing just one 45-minute act.

 

Junior Sam Resendez plays a character who faces a tough decision

More Plays to Come

 

Future plans are to perform a fall play and spring musical each year. A drama elective class, to be taught by Dahlquist, is also starting in the fall, with about 75 students signed up for two sessions.

 

Alexandrea said she’s already learned how to “bring out my sass more” in playing Robin, a cheeky character. “I’ve learned more about trying to act a certain way, trying to make my emotions show.”

 

Jackson Johnson, a freshman who plays a character named Brian, said it’s nice to have a chance to perform.

 

“It’s a way to express yourself without being judged and you can be whatever you want to be. It’s a good escape,” Jackson said. “I noticed that the key is emotion and how you present yourself. You have to discard who you are and become this new person in the play, which is kind of cool because it’s being someone else.”

 

Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.

Sophomore Israel Juarez-Perez flops on the floor during play rehearsal

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre is digging some ‘Holes’ with its upcoming production

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Grand Rapids Civic Theatre gets ready for its upcoming production "Holes." (Photo courtesy of GRCT)
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre gets ready for its upcoming production “Holes.” (Photo courtesy of GRCT)

 

This fall, Civic Theatre season asks the question; How much of a persons’ destiny depends on fate and can that fate be changed? From Septembers’ emotionally charged “Good People” to the upcoming adventures in “Holes” this theme is explored – or in the case of “Holes,” dug into!

 

An interview with Civic Theatre guest director, Jason Marlett

 

Jason Marlett (Photo courtesy of GRCT)
Jason Marlett (Photo courtesy of GRCT)

Jason, what is this show about?

 

The simple, easy answer is a coming of age story about friendship and uncovering truths. Stanley Yelnats, a boy who has bad luck due to a curse placed on his great, great, grandfather is sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention camp, for a crime he didn’t commit. Every day, Stanley and his friends are forced to dig holes that are 5×5 and cover every inch of the desert. However, things aren’t always as they seem.

 

Stanley believes his life is unfairly destined to be full of bad luck. It isn’t until he is taken out of his home environment, his comfort zone, that he begins to see life a different way. You might say, he starts digging deeper into his past and present – his destiny. It’s no coincidence this storyline is built like an onion, layers and layers of hidden meanings, messages, and treasures.

 

holesinfoWe have had a blast exploring the significance in the character’s names, for example Yelnats is Stanley spelled backward: Stanley Yelnats – why? The story also explores how friendships can lead to life transformations, the power fate plays in defining our character, and the undertones of how cruelty and history impact us every day. Wow, that sounds intense! There is a lot going on during this show, it is a full-on tale filled with adventure.

 

How closely does this play follow the 1999 Newbury awarded young adult novel?

 

Louis Sachar adapted his novel so this is his story coming to life on stage.

 

Does that means audiences can expect to see acts of violence?

 

It’s strange to even say this but yes, violence will be carried out on the stage because it is an important element to the story. Even stranger is my telling you, if you have a child sensitive to violence DO NOT BRING THEM TO THIS SHOW! Wow, you would think a director would encourage attendance but there are very physical fights, gun shots and a death.

 

Rehearsal of Grand Rapids Civic Theatre's "Holes." (Photo courtesy of GRCT)
Rehearsal of Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s “Holes.” (Photo courtesy of GRCT)

How do you keep your actors safe during these scenes?

 

Fortunately, in addition to the title tech director, Steve Schwall is also a stage combat instructor. He spent about 10 hours with cast to carefully choreographing safe fights and falls. He was busy; there are a lot of falls. He was also able to show the safe handling of firearms and safe lanes for weapon props to move in between actors. With stage violence each actor has to approach it as a partnership, with both partners helping each other to execute and trust enough to set a believable scene.

 

Fighting aside, what was the most difficult to produce?

“Holes” is full of mysteries that aren’t limited to the plot. Lighting and set design presented a few obstacles. Production designers tackled two significant challenges in order to create an environment that supports the storytelling. The first, how are we creating a stage full of holes? I mean, we have set changes throughout the show, so we can’t just have a bunch of holes hanging around in a living room. So, that was fun and handled perfectly I might add.

The second is creating a unique time period transformation. Three stories from separate time periods in history are combined in “Holes” to create one story. It is important for the audience to react to the changes without feeling awkward because while in the past we continue to reference the present, and no matter where we are in time, we never forget where the story is ultimately headed.

 

Can you share any secrets with us, what should the audience keep an eye on while watching the show?

 

The Yellow Spotted Lizards! Keep a lookout for them because where they go, so goes trouble. These lizards have quite the reputation, if they bite you – YOU WILL die, or will you? Things are not always what they seem in “Holes” – it blurs between reality and fable. But those Lizards, they hold a lot of power.

 

Okay, I am interested by why should others see the show?

This cast is sharp, and they have developed rich and full characters. This show is going to leap off the stage, maybe just like a yellow spotted lizard. Is there one under your seat? You’d better check.