ANNOUNCING CONCORD PLAYERS' 2019-2020 SEASON!
Our
100th anniversary is shaping up to be a memorable and exciting
year! While a few more details will be presented at the Annual
Meeting in March, the Play & Director Selection Committee and the
Board of Directors are very proud to share the shows and directors
selected for our 2019-2020 season!
Our autumn offering will be the Broadway musical hit that launched the career of Barbara Streisand, Funny Girl,
with book by Isobel Lennart, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Bob
Merrill. Brian Kelly will be Stage Director for the show.
In the winter, we will present the Neil Simon comedy classic, Barefoot in the Park, with Lisa Astbury at the helm.
For our final production in the spring, Paul Murphy will be directing the comedy-drama Steel Magnolias, written by Robert Harling.
The
PDSC and the Board are very excited about this lineup for the coming
year, and we look forward to sharing them with you all!
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PATRIOTS DAY PARADE
Calling all Players and Patriots!
Concord Players will be participating in Concord's Annual Patriots
Day parade on Monday, April 15th (weather permitting). Volunteers
are needed to march in the parade, which begins at 9:00am at Stow
Street, proceeds through Concord Center to the Old North Bridge and back
through town, followed by a luncheon at the Hunt Recreational Center.
Please email Andrea Roessler at marketing@concordplayers.org if you
can join us. Further information regarding costuming and muster
time will follow to those participating.
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SPOTLIGHT ON ANNE BANTLY
If
you're working on a Concord Players set or backstage crew, get out of
the way because Anne Bantly is on the move. As a props master,
crew-chief, set dresser and chief-cook-and-bottle washer, Anne can
appear to be everywhere at once, an inexorable force, working to get
that show on the boards.
Anne
says little but does much. Sometimes working alongside husband Allen,
she lends a hand building a set. If the green room needs a good clean,
Anne is there to make it shine. Thanks to Anne, Concord Players'
formidable collection of props and set pieces are labeled, organized and
stored making optimal use of every inch of storage space. If you're
likely to disregard this as an inconsequential achievement, try pushing a
piano through a transom and you'll know how amazing Anne's capabilities
are.
Anne
is tiny but strong. She'll haul a carpet over her shoulder and carry it
up the stairs as easily as drying a dish. She'll move a couch, a
refrigerator or an entire stairway back into place onstage by herself if
a crew mate isn't there in time to do it. She never, ever misses a cue.
Even when she's dancing backstage during a musical - and she usually is
- some invisible internal timer stops her and she's all business
getting that prop in place at exactly the right moment.
And
speaking of props, Anne truly is a master. She brings both a mechanical
aptitude and an artistic sensibility to everything she creates.
Adhering always to the first and most important principle of producing
theater, she makes use of every existing resource before spending a
penny to buy anything. A paper platter can become a filigreed silver
tray, a piece of Styrofoam can turn into a cactus plant. With a quick
turn of the hand, Anne can make a raggedy old picture frame worthy to
hold a museum masterpiece - and then she makes that, too.
She
can paint, glaze, build, craft and even re-upholster an antique couch
if necessary. She does it all without much comment, never a complaint
and always perfectly.
Backstage,
Anne stays a step ahead of everyone else. She anticipates and
troubleshoots problems before problems appear. She's got everyone's
back, alerting actors who are in danger of missing an entrance, or
moving a stray set piece back into safety. If a prop breaks, she fixes
it. If it can't be fixed, she's ready with a replacement.
Being
the indefatigable being that she is, Anne doesn't stop at the back of
the house. For every opening during the Players' season, Anne spearheads
an opening night reception, planning weeks in advance, organizing food,
soliciting donations, decorating the food stations in themes to
complement the show and wrangling volunteers to help serve and clean up.
This, for crowds of 200 or more, after having crafted all the props for
the show too!
It's
impossible to quantify the value of Anne's contributions to our work,
our organization and our community. To coin an old cliché, she's a force
to be reckoned with; a force for inestimable good at the Concord
Players and for all who know her.
And what does Anne have to say about all this? "If it wasn't fun, I wouldn't do it!" That's our girl!
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CONCORD PLAYERS ANNUAL MEETING
My Fellow Players,
Please mark your calendars for Sunday, March 24th for our
annual meeting. As a Member of the Concord Players you are ensured a
place at the table of this theater event and invited to attend one of
the major yearly happenings we sponsor. Although we'll need to go over a
few mundane things like reviewing the state of our amazing finances; a
riveting, nail biting, vote on the incoming Board of Directors; and
getting a formal announcement of the upcoming scintillating season's
slate of plays, the real fun is hanging out with your extended family
in your home-away-from-home and enjoying food and drink with other
like-minded thespians. If you've never been or it's been a while, come
on down and enjoy the party! Early evening is promised and there's
even a floor show to top it all off which will send you home with a
smile on your face!
See you at the theater!
Jay Newlon
President of the Concord Players
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DON'T MISS THE SECRET GARDEN
The Secret Garden
is a musical adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic book and
timeless tale about loss, discovery, and redemption. The story follows
the indomitable spirit of Mary Lennox as she restores the faded beauty
of her aunt's garden and brings healing to her uncle's grieving heart.
Rehearsals are in full swing and the cast sounds amazing. This
production is sure to be one to remember. Tickets are on sale now on the
Concord Players website.
Make sure to get yours now, they will go fast! Performances are April
26, 27, 28 (matinee), and May 3, 4, 5 (matinee), 10, and 11,
2019.
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CONCORD PLAYERS MEMBER NEWS
Executive Board member Kathy Lague is directing the farce First Things First with the TCAN Players. Performance dates are March 8-17. See www.natickarts.org for tickets and more information.
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UPCOMING EVENTS AT 51 WALDEN
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March 2 at 8:00 p.m.: The Concord Band
Winter Concert: Celebrating 60 Years. On the program is a new fanfare
by Roger Cichy and a major new work by Andrew Boysen, Jr. Free concert,
donations gratefully accepted.
March 9 at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.: Concord Conservatory of Music presents The Okee Dokee Brothers,
a concert for the whole family. Plan to bring your kids closer to
nature through an afternoon of songs performed by this creative
duo. As childhood friends growing up in Colorado, Joe Mailander
and Justin Lansing were always exploring the outdoors. Whether it
was rafting down their neighborhood creek or discovering hiking trails
through the Rocky Mountains, Joe and Justin were born adventurers.
Now, as the GRAMMY(R) Award-winning Okee Dokee Brothers, they have put
this passion for the outdoors at the heart of their down-home and lively
Americana Folk music. Tickets are $25 for premium seating and $15
for regular admission. Purchase on-line.
March 16 at 7:00 p.m.: Folk
Arts Center of New England presents Balkan Night, a vibrant celebration
of the rich musical traditions of the Balkans, and an immersive
experience in music, dance, culture, and community. Click here for more information.
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